The effect of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury in elderly patients undergoing valve replacement surgery.

PURPOSES: The effects of preoperative statin treatment on acute kidney injury (AKI) remain controversial, and current clinical evidence regarding statin use in the elderly undergoing valve replacement surgery (VRS) is insufficient. The present study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative statin treatment and AKI after VRS in the elderly. METHODS: Three thousand seven hundred ninety-one elderly patients (≥ 60 years) undergoing VRS were included in this study and divided into 2 groups, according to the receipt of statin treatment before the operation: statin users (n = 894) and non-users (n = 2897). We determined the associations between statin use, AKI, and other adverse events using a multivariate model and propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: After propensity score-matched analysis, there was no difference between statin users and non-users in regard to postoperative AKI (72.5% vs. 72.4%, p = 0.954), in-hospital death (5.7% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.650) and 1-year mortality (log-rank = 0, p = 0.986). The multivariate analysis showed that statin use was not an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.90-1.17, p = 0.733), in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.75-1.68, p = 0.568), or 1-year mortality (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.70-1.28, p = 0.715). CONCLUSION: Preoperative statin treatment did not significantly affect the risk of AKI among elderly patients undergoing VRS.

The effect of medication on serum anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in women of reproductive age: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to address whether serum anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels fluctuate in the short term after medication application, including oral contraceptives (OCs), metformin (MET), Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), vitamin D (VD), clomiphene citrate (CC), and letrozole (LET). METHODS: Published literature from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane central was retrieved up until 19 September 2021. A total of 51 self-control studies with an average Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS) score of 6.90 were analyzed. The extracted data were entered into Stata software, and the weighted mean difference/standardized mean difference (WMD/SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for data analysis. RESULTS: After OCs treatment the AMH level showed a significant decline in women with normal ovarian function, which was significant within 3 months (WMD = -1.43, 95% CI: -2.05 to -0.80, P < 0.00001). After MET treatment, the serum AMH decreased in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients (WMD = -1.79, 95% CI: -2.32 to -1.26, P < 0.00001), in both obese and non-obese patients. GnRH-a treatment in endometriosis patients led to dynamic changes in the serum AMH levels, that is, ascent at 1 month (P = 0.05), and descent at 3 months (P = 0.02). After DHEA treatment the serum AMH increased in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) / poor ovarian response (POR) patients (WMD = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.27, P < 0.0001). After VD treatment the serum AMH increased, and it was obvious in non-PCOS patients (WMD = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.21, P = 0.0004). After CC treatment the serum AMH decreased significantly in PCOS patients, specifically in non-obese patients (WMD = -1.24, 95% CI: -1.87 to -0.61, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum AMH levels may be affected in the short term after drug application. Specifically, OC, MET and CC lead to decreased AMH level, DHEA and VD lead to increased AMH level, and GnRH-a leads to dynamic variation, which is correlated with PCOS, obesity, age, and duration of medication. The impacts of these medications should be taken into consideration when AMH is used as a marker of ovarian reserve.

Endovascular embolization of spontaneous massive hemorrhage of a facial plexiform neurofibroma: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: As a subtype of neurofibromatosis, the plexiform neurofibroma is a benign, autosomally inherited disorder and predisposed to tumour formation. However, life-threatening haemorrhage into facial plexiform neurofibroma is extremely rare. CASE INFORMATION: In the current study, we showed a facial plexiform neurofibroma case with massive haemorrhage in the cranio-maxillofacial region. An emergent selective angiography of the external carotid artery was performed to identify the offending artery, which was then selectively occluded by the combination of detachable coils and Onyx-34. Thus, the minimally invasive drainage surgery was successfully performed to evacuate the haematoma. CONCLUSION: We believe the endovascular embolization achieved its purpose by providing an initial salvage strategy for stopping active haemorrhage in plexiform neurofibroma, allowing surgeons to perform open surgery with lower complications rate.

Glycemic control and neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus treated using glyburide, metformin, or insulin: a pairwise and network meta-analysis.

AIMS: We aimed to assess the comparative efficiency and safety of the use of glyburide, metformin, and insulin in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials that compared glyburide, metformin, and insulin in GDM. Data regarding glycemic control and neonatal safety were collected and analyzed in pairwise and network meta-analyses. RESULTS: A total of 4533 individuals from 23 trials were included. Compared with glyburide, metformin reduced 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2HPG) to a greater extent (standard mean difference (SMD) 0.18; 95% credible interval (CI) 0.01, 0.34). There were significantly lower prevalence of neonatal hypoglycemia (risk difference (RD) - 0.07; 95%CI - 0.11, - 0.02) and preeclampsia (RD - 0.03; 95%CI - 0.06, 0) in the metformin group than in the insulin group. The metformin group had significantly lower birth weight (SMD - 0.17; 95%CI - 0.25, - 0.08) and maternal weight gain (SMD - 0.61; 95%CI - 0.86,- 0.35) compared with the insulin group. Network meta-analysis suggested that metformin had the highest probability of successfully controlling glycemia and preventing neonatal complications. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that metformin may be as effective as insulin for glycemic control and is the most promising drug for the prevention of neonatal and maternal complications.

Prognostic value of D-dimer for adverse outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Increased D-dimer levels have been shown to correlate with adverse outcomes in various clinical conditions. However, few studies with a large sample size have been performed thus far to evaluate the prognostic value of D-dimer in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). METHODS: 613 patients with IE were included in the study and categorized into two groups according to the cut-off of D-dimer determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for in-hospital death: > 3.5 mg/L (n = 89) and ≤ 3.5 mg/L (n = 524). Multivariable regression analysis was used to determine the association of D-dimer with in-hospital adverse events and six-month death. RESULTS: In-hospital death (22.5% vs. 7.3%), embolism (33.7% vs 18.2%), and stroke (29.2% vs 15.8%) were significantly higher in patients with D-dimer > 3.5 mg/L than in those with D-dimer ≤ 3.5 mg/L. Multivariable analysis showed that D-dimer was an independent risk factor for in-hospital adverse events (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.19, P = 0.005). In addition, the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the cumulative 6-month mortality was significantly higher in patients with D-dimer > 3.5 mg/L than in those with D-dimer ≤ 3.5 mg/L (log-rank test = 39.19, P < 0.0001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that D-dimer remained a significant predictor for six-month death (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.18, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: D-dimer is a reliable prognostic biomarker that independently associated with in-hospital adverse events and six-month mortality in patients with IE.

Intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia retards the development of brown adipose tissue.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an exclusive tissue of nonshivering thermogenesis. It is fueled by lipids and glucose and involved in energy and metabolic homeostasis. Intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia during gestational diabetes mellitus may result in abnormal fetal development and metabolic phenotypes in adulthood. However, whether intrauterine hyperglycemia influences the development of BAT is unknown. In this study, mouse embryos were exposed to the intrauterine hyperglycemia environment by injecting streptozocin into pregnant mice at 1 d post coitum (dpc). The structure of BAT was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis. The glucose uptake in BAT was measured in vivo by [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose-micro-positron emission tomography. The gene expression in BAT was determined by real-time PCR, and the 5'-C-phosphate-G-3' site-specific methylation was quantitatively analyzed. Intrauterine hyperglycemia exposure resulted in the impaired structure of BAT and decreased glucose uptake function in BAT in adulthood. The expressions of the genes involved in thermogenesis and mitochondrial respiratory chain in BAT, such as Ucp1, Cox5b, and Elovl3, were down-regulated by intrauterine hyperglycemia exposure at 18.5 dpc and at 16 wk of age. Furthermore, higher methylation levels of Ucp1, Cox5b, and Elovl3 were found in offspring of mothers with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Our results provide the evidence for enduring inhibitory effects of intrauterine hyperglycemia on BAT development in offspring. Intrauterine hyperglycemia is associated with increased DNA methylation of the BAT specific genes in offspring, which support an epigenetic involvement.-Yu, D.-Q., Lv, P.-P., Yan, Y.-S., Xu, G.-X., Sadhukhan, A., Dong, S., Shen, Y., Ren, J., Zhang, X.-Y., Feng, C., Huang, Y.-T., Tian, S., Zhou, Y., Cai, Y.-T., Ming, Z.-H., Ding, G.-L., Zhu, H., Sheng, J.-Z., Jin, M., Huang, H.-F. Intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia retards the development of brown adipose tissue.

Incidence, Risk Factors and Subsequent Prognostic Impact of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Infective Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies with a large sample size have been performed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors and prognostic value of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with infective endocarditis (IE).Methods and Results:A total of 1,063 IE patients were included and 83 developed new AF. Compared with no-AF, the incidence of in-hospital death (6.0% vs. 22.9%, P<0.001) was higher in patients with new-onset AF. New-onset AF was independently associated with increased risk of in-hospital (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=3.92, P=0.001) and 1-year death (adjusted hazard ratio=2.91, P=0.001), while prior AF was not an independent factor. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis demonstrated new-onset AF mainly affected short-term death (180 days). Age (OR=1.04, P<0.001), rheumatic heart disease (OR=1.88, P=0.022), NYHA Class III or IV (OR=2.09, P=0.003), and left atrial diameter (LAD; OR=1.05, P=0.006) were independent risk factors for development of new AF. CONCLUSIONS: New-onset AF, not prior AF, was a prognostic factor in IE patients, which was mainly associated with increased risk of short-term death. Patients with concomitant rheumatic heart disease, poor cardiac function, and larger LAD had higher risk of developing new AF.

The prognostic nutritional index might predict clinical outcomes in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) had been associated with adverse outcomes in numerous clinical conditions. However, its influence on idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was not determined. This aim of this study was to determine the predictive ability of PNI in patients with idiopathic DCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1021 consecutive patients with idiopathic DCM were retrospectively included and divided into three groups based on admission PNI tertiles: <41.7 (n = 339), 41.7-47.3 (n = 342), >47.3 (n = 340). The association of PNI with in-hospital major adverse clinical events (MACEs) and death during follow-up was evaluated. In-hospital mortality (2.9% vs. 1.5% vs. 0.0%, respectively; p = 0.006) and MACEs (13.6% vs. 6.7% vs. 3.5%, respectively; p < 0.001) decreased from the lowest to the highest PNI tertile. The optimal cut-off value of PNI to predict in-hospital MACEs was 44.0 (area under the curve: 0.689; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.626-0.753; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a PNI≤44.0 was an independent risk factor of in-hospital MACEs (odd ratio: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.64-4.98; p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 27 months (hazard ratio: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.11-2.49; p = 0.013). In addition, patients with a PNI≤44.0 had a lower cumulative survival rate during follow-up (log-rank: 35.62; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The PNI was an independent risk factor for in-hospital MACEs and all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 27 months in patients with idiopathic DCM; hence, it may be considered a tool for risk assessment.

Effect of conjugated bilirubin on clinical outcomes in infective endocarditis.

Liver dysfunction is associated with adverse events in infective endocarditis (IE). However, few studies have explored the predictive value of conjugated bilirubin (CB) in IE. We aimed to investigate the nature of the link between CB and adverse prognosis in patients with IE. Consecutive patients with IE between January 2009 and July 2015 were enrolled. Multivariate analysis was performed to confirm whether CB was an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes. In all, 1010 patients were included and divided into two groups according to admission CB level (µmol/L): normal (≤ 7.0, n = 820) and elevated (> 7.0, n = 190) CB groups. In-hospital mortality (5.0% vs. 22.1%, p < 0.001) and major adverse cardiac events (16.8% vs. 36.3%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with increased CB. A possible J-shaped relationship was found between CB and in-hospital events. Further, CB had more predictive power than total bilirubin in predicting in-hospital death (AUC 0.715 vs. 0.674, p = 0.010). Elevated CB was an independent predictor of in-hospital death (adjusted OR = 2.62, 95%CI 1.40-4.91, p = 0.003). Moreover, CB (increment 1 µmol/L) was independently associated with higher long-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that patients with elevated CB were associated with higher cumulative rate of long-term death (log-rank = 21.47, p < 0.001). CB, a biomarker of liver function, was a relatively powerful predictor of in-hospital and long-term adverse prognosis of IE and could likely comprise a novel risk evaluation strategy.

Risk prediction in infective endocarditis by modified MELD-XI score.

The suitability of the model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score to predict adverse outcomes in infective endocarditis (IE) patients remains uncertain. This study was performed to explore the prognostic value of the MELD-XI score and modified MELD-XI score for patients with IE. A total of 858 patients with IE were consecutively enrolled and classified into two groups: MELD-XI ≤ 10 (n = 588) and MELD-XI > 10 (n = 270). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine risk factors independent of MELD-XI score. Higher MELD-XI score was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (15.6 vs. 4.8%, p < 0.001) and major adverse clinical events (33.3 vs. 18.4%, p < 0.001). MELD-XI score was an independent predictor of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.02-1.10, p = 0.005). Based on a multivariate analysis, NYHA class III or IV (3 points), C-reactive protein > 9.5 mg/L (4 points), and non-surgical treatment (6 points) were added to MELD-XI score. Modified MELD-XI score produced higher predictive power than previous (AUC 0.823 vs. 0.701, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of long-term mortality (median 29 months) was significantly higher in patients with modified MELD-XI score > 13 than those without (log-rank = 25.30, p < 0.001). Modified MELD-XI score was independently associated with long-term mortality (hazard ratio = 1.08, 95% CI, 1.04-1.12, p < 0.001). MELD-XI score could be used as a risk assessment tool in IE. Furthermore, modified MELD-XI score remained simple and more effective in predicting poor prognosis.

Novel Risk Biomarker for Infective Endocarditis Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction　- Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio.

BACKGROUND: The monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) appears to be a newly emerging inflammatory marker. However, its prognostic value in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been unclear.Methods and Results:We enrolled consecutive patients with IE and normal LVEF and divided into 3 groups based on the tertiles of MHR. Of 698 included patients, 44 (6.3%) died while in hospital. The occurrence of in-hospital death (3.9%, 4.3%, and 10.8%, P=0.003) and of major adverse clinical events (MACEs) (15.6%, 20.9%, and 30.6%, P<0.001) increased from the lowest to the highest MHR tertiles, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that MHR had good predictive value for in-hospital death (area under the curve [AUC] 0.670, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.76, P<0.001) and was similar to C-reactive protein (AUC 0.670 vs. 0.702, P=0.444). Furthermore, MHR >21.3 had a sensitivity of 74.4% and specificity of 57.6% for predicting in-hospital death. Multiple analysis showed that MHR >21.3 was an independent predictor of both in-hospital (odds ratio 3.98, 95% CI 1.91-8.30, P<0.001) and long-term death (hazard ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.44-3.64, P<0.001) after adjusting for age, female, diabetes mellitus, estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and surgical treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with MHR >21.3 had an increased rate of long-term death compared to those without (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated MHR was independently associated with in-hospital and long-term death in patients with IE and normal LVEF.

The impact of admission neutrophil-to-platelet ratio on in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with increased neutrophil and reduced platelet counts. We assessed the relationship between the neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) on admission and adverse outcomes in patients with IE. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with IE between January 2009 and July 2015 (n=1293) were enrolled, and 1046 were finally entered into the study. Study subjects were categorized into four groups according to NPR quartiles: Q1<18.9 (n=260); Q2: 18.9-27.7 (n=258); Q3: 27.7-43.3 (n=266); and Q4>43.3 (n=262). Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to identify risk factors for long-term mortality; the optimal cut-off was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Risk of in-hospital death increased progressively with NPR group number (1.9 vs. 5.0 vs. 9.8 vs. 14.1%, p<0.001). The follow-up period was a median of 28.8 months, during which 144 subjects (14.3%) died. Long-term mortality increased from the lowest to the highest NPR quartiles (7.6, 11.8, 17.4, and 26.2%, respectively, p<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that lgNPR (HR=2.22) was an independent predictor of long-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that subjects in Q4 had an increased long-term mortality compared with the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased NPR was associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with IE. As a simple and inexpensive index, NPR may be a useful and rapid screening tool to identify IE patients at high risk of mortality.

Additive prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction to the TIMI risk score for in-hospital and long-term mortality in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

To investigate whether the addition of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to the TIMI risk score enhances the prediction of in-hospital and long-term death in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. 673 patients with STEMI were divided into three groups based on TIMI risk score for STEMI: low-risk group (TIMI ≤3, n = 213), moderate-risk group (TIMI 4-6, n = 285), and high-risk group (TIMI ≥7, n = 175). The predictive value was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine risk predictors. The rates of in-hospital death (0.5 vs 3.2 vs 10.3 %, p < 0.001) and major adverse cardiovascular events (14.6 vs 22.5 vs 40.6 %, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in high-risk group. Multivariate analysis showed that TIMI risk score (OR 1.24, 95 % CI 1.04-1.48, P = 0.015) and LVEF (OR 3.85, 95 % CI 1.58-10.43, P = 0.004) were independent predictors of in-hospital death. LVEF had good predictive value for in-hospital death (AUC: 0.838 vs 0.803, p = 0.571) or 1-year death (AUC: 0.743 vs 0.728, p = 0.775), which was similar to TIMI risk score. When compared with the TIMI risk score alone, the addition of LVEF was associated with significant improvements in predicting in-hospital (AUC: 0.854 vs 0.803, p = 0.033) or 1-year death (AUC: 0.763 vs 0.728, p = 0.016). The addition of LVEF to TIMI risk score enhanced net reclassification improvement (0.864 for in-hospital death, p < 0.001; 0.510 for 1-year death, p < 0.001). LVEF was associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality in STEMI patients and had additive prognostic value to TIMI risk score.

Pre-Procedural Risk Score of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Elderly Patients Undergoing Elective Coronary Angiography.

To establish a scoring model to predict the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in elderly patients undergoing elective coronary angiography (CAG).A total of 1286 patients aged > 65 years who had undergone elective CAG between August 2009 and February 2013 were enrolled in this study. They were randomly (3:2) assigned to a development (n = 756) or validation dataset (n = 530). Independent predictors of CIN were identified by using logistic regression and were assigned a weighted integer, which was used to establish a score model.CIN incidence in the development set was 6.3%. The risk score model contained 3 variables (with the weighted integer): age > 75 years (1.5), creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/minute (1), and congestive heart failure (CHF) (1.5). CIN incidence was 3.1%, 9.1%, and 29.0% in the low-risk group (≤ 1), moderate risk group (1 - 3), and high-risk group (≥ 3), respectively. The risk model demonstrated good prediction value in the development (c-statistic = 0.727) and validation (c-statistic = 0.695) datasets. Compared to the non-CIN group, the CIN group had a significantly higher rate of inhospital major adverse cardiac events (P < 0.01).The risk score model with 3 variables, namely age > 75 years, CrCl < 60 mL/minute, and CHF, is a clinical prediction tool for CIN in elderly patients before elective CAG. CIN is one of the independent risk factors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Brain natriuretic peptide for prevention of contrast-inducednephropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication and associated with poor clinical outcomes. The protective value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) administration on CIN is still controversial in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angiography (CAG). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for BNP in preventing CIN. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for RCTs comparing administration of BNP versus non-BNP for preventing CIN. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plots. Relative risk (RR) was calculated for incidence of CIN and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) using the random or fixed effect model according to heterogeneity analysis. RESULTS: There were five RCTs with 1441 patients in this analysis. BNP treatment was associated with lower incidence of CIN (RR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.27-0.54, p < 0.001) and MACEs (RR = 0.47, 95 % CI 0.24-0.95, p = 0.034) with no significant heterogeneity (I 2 = 0 %, p = 0.701; I 2 = 60 %, p = 0.113, respectively). Similar results were seen in subgroup analysis. Prophylactic BNP significantly decreased the incidence of CIN after cardiac catheterization in the studies of regarding sodium chloride as placebo (I 2 = 0 %, RR = 0.39, 95 % CI 0.27-0.56, p < 0.001) or JADAD score > 3 (I 2 = 0 %, RR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.21-0.68, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preprocedural BNP treatment significantly decreased the incidence of CIN and short-term MACEs in patients undergoing PCI or CAG.

Contrast-induced nephropathy following chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVES: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has not been systematically studied in high-risk patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO). METHODS: We prospectively observed 515 consecutive patients with CKD undergoing PCI. Patients were divided into three groups: patients who underwent attempted PCI for CTO (group A, n = 85), patients who did not receive PCI for CTO (group B, n = 45) and patients without CTO (group C, n = 385). RESULTS: CIN developed in 55 patients (10.68 %). Group A patients received a larger CM dose than group B or group C (p = 0.024). The intravenous hydration volume, age and CIN Mehran score were not significantly different between the three groups. The incidence of CIN was 9.4 % for group A, 6.7 % for group B and 11.4 % for group C (p = 0.344). In-hospital mortality and required renal replacement therapy (p = 0.325) were not significantly different between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio for CIN was 1.03 (p = 0.944) for group A and 0.64 for group B (p = 0.489) compared to group C. CONCLUSIONS: Attempts to achieve recanalization of CTO in patients with CKD might not increase the risk of CIN if appropriate preventative measures are taken. KEY POINTS: • Contrast-induced nephropathy can increase morbidity and mortality • Chronic kidney disease patients are at the greatest risk of CIN • Patients with CKD undergoing CTO-PCI are common • Incidence of CIN has not been reported in CKD patients • CTO-PCI in CKD patients might not increase the risk of CIN.

Use of the contrast volume or grams of iodine-to-creatinine clearance ratio to predict mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the predictive value of the ratio of the contrast media volume or grams of iodine to the creatinine clearance (V/CrCl or g-I/CrCl, respectively) for the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The association between V/CrCl and mortality was prospectively evaluated in 1,135 consecutive patients undergoing PCI. Cox regression models were used to adjust for the V/CrCl ratio and other confounding factors for risk of death within 1 year. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (4.84%) developed CIN. The 1-year mortality was higher in patients with a V/CrCl ratio >2.62 (g-I/CrCl >0.97) than in others (4.44% vs 0.40%; P < .001). After adjusting for other risk factors, the 1-year mortality risk remained associated with increased V/CrCl ratio. The risk of death was significant for V/CrCl >2.62 (adjusted risk ratio [RR] for death 2.605, 95% CI 1.040-6.529, P = .041), V/CrCl >3.0 (g-I/CrCl >1.11) (adjusted RR 4.338, 95% CI 1.689-11.142, P = .002), and V/CrCl >3.7 (g-I/CrCl >1.37) (adjusted RR 2.557, 95% CI 1.162-5.627, P = .002). CONCLUSION: The data further support the prognostic significance of calculating the V/CrCl ratio to predict the relative maximum contrast volume during PCI. Use of a contrast dose determined based on the estimated renal function with a planned V/CrCl ratio <3.7 (g-I/CrCl <1.37) and preferably <2.62 (g-I/CrCl <0.97) might be valuable in reducing the risks of CIN and even death after PCI.

[Analysis of coronary rotational atherectomy related complications].

OBJECTIVE: To analysis the complications of coronary rotational atherectomy and evaluate the safety of this procedure. METHOD: A total of 250 rotational atherectomy cases from April 1994 to February 2012 were screened retrospectively and 22 cases patients (8.8%) with rotational atherectomy-related complications were included in this analysis. RESULTS: Among these 22 patients, all lesions were either type B2 or C calcified lesions as evidenced by coronary angiography. After the rotation procedure, there were seven cases (2.8%) with slow reflow and two (0.8%) cases with no reflow. Seven cases (2.8%) developed severe coronary spasm and two cases (0.8%) had sinus bradycardia. Coronary dissection occurred in two cases (0.8%), while one case (0.4%) had coronary perforation and cardiac tamponade. Burr entrapment happened in one case (0.4%). There was no malignant arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction, emergent coronary artery bypass graft or device related death during and post procedure. Comparison with baseline data, the concentration of CK-MB elevated significantly after the rotational atherectomy [(31.2 ± 4.8) mmol/L vs. (11.4 ± 6.5) mmol/L, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Coronary rotational atherectomy is safe and procedure-related complications are rare.

LIN28A attenuates high glucose-induced retinal pigmented epithelium injury through activating SIRT1-dependent autophagy.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of LIN28A (human) on high glucose-induced retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cell injury and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Diabetic retinopathy model was generated following 48h of exposure to 30 mmol/L high glucose (HG) in ARPE-19 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot tested the expression of the corresponding genes and proteins. Cell viability as well as apoptosis was determined through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assays. Immunofluorescence assay was adopted to evaluate autophagy activity. Caspase 3 activity, oxidative stress markers, and cytokines were appraised adopting their commercial kits, respectively. Finally, ARPE-19 cells were preincubated with EX527, a Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) inhibitor, prior to HG stimulation to validate the regulatory mechanism. RESULTS: LIN28A was downregulated in HG-challenged ARPE-19 cells. LIN28A overexpression greatly inhibited HG-induced ARPE-19 cell viability loss, apoptosis, oxidative damage as well as inflammatory response. Meanwhile, the repressed autophagy and SIRT1 in ARPE-19 cells challenged with HG were elevated after LIN28A overexpression. In addition, treatment of EX527 greatly inhibited the activated autophagy following LIN28A overexpression and partly abolished the protective role of LIN28A against HG-elicited apoptosis, oxidative damage as well as inflammation in ARPE-19 cells. CONCLUSION: LIN28A exerts a protective role against HG-elicited RPE oxidative damage, inflammation, as well as apoptosis via regulating SIRT1/autophagy.