Diagnostic accuracy of frozen section biopsy for early gastric cancer extent during endoscopic submucosal dissection: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of the lateral extent of early gastric cancer during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is crucial to achieve negative resection margins. Similar to intraoperative consultation with a frozen section in surgery, rapid frozen section diagnosis with endoscopic forceps biopsy may be useful in assessing tumor margins during ESD. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of frozen section biopsy. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 32 patients undergoing ESD for early gastric cancer. Biopsy samples for the frozen sections were randomly collected from fresh resected ESD specimens before formalin fixation. Two different pathologists independently diagnosed 130 frozen sections as "neoplasia," "negative for neoplasia," or "indefinite for neoplasia," and the frozen section diagnosis was compared with the final pathological results of the ESD specimens. RESULTS: Among the 130 frozen sections, 35 were from cancerous areas, and 95 were from non-cancerous areas. The diagnostic accuracies of the frozen section biopsies by the two pathologists were 98.5 and 94.6%, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficient of diagnoses by the two pathologists was 0.851 (95% confidence interval: 0.837-0.864). Incorrect diagnoses resulted from freezing artifacts, a small volume of tissue, inflammation, the presence of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with mild nuclear atypia, and/or tissue damage during ESD. CONCLUSIONS: Pathological diagnosis of frozen section biopsy is reliable and can be applied as a rapid frozen section diagnosis for evaluating the lateral margins of early gastric cancer during ESD.

Kinetics of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides during hemodialysis are regulated in association with different cardiac functional changes.

The blood levels of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) are both increased markedly in hemodialysis patients, but the kinetics of the two are not always parallel. The present study investigated the association of changes in ANP and BNP levels before and after dialysis with changes in cardiac function in hemodialysis patients. A total of 57 patients (mean age 64 years, 47 males and 10 females) on maintenance hemodialysis with sinus rhythm were enrolled. Blood samples were taken at the beginning and end of dialysis, and plasma levels of ANP and BNP were measured. Changes in cardiac function during dialysis were examined by echocardiography performed just before and after dialysis. Both plasma ANP and BNP concentrations decreased significantly after hemodialysis, but the rate of decrease in BNP [mean ± SD, 555 ± 503 to 519 ± 477 pg/mL (- 6.4%), P = 0.011] was much smaller than that in ANP [233 ± 123 to 132 ± 83 pg/mL (- 43.4%), P < 0.001]. As for the relation to the changes in echocardiographic parameters before and after dialysis, the decrease in inferior vena cava diameter had a close correlation with the decrease in ANP (r = 0.528, P < 0.001), but not BNP. In contrast, the decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic volume index was correlated only with the decrease in BNP (r = 0.297, P = 0.035). The peak velocity ratio of early diastolic to atrial filling decreased with preload reduction by dialysis, and its decrease was more strongly correlated with the decrease in BNP (r = 0.407, P = 0.002) than that in ANP (r = 0.273, P = 0.040). These results demonstrated that in hemodialysis patients, the decrease in plasma ANP by a single dialysis was essentially caused by blood volume reduction, while BNP decrease was mainly induced by the reduction of left ventricular overload. Our findings indicate that the kinetics of both peptides during dialysis are regulated by different cardiac and hemodynamic factors.

Assessment of Ultra-Early-Stage Liver Fibrosis in Human Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Second-Harmonic Generation Microscopy.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with the chronic progression of fibrosis. In general, the progression of liver fibrosis is determined by a histopathological assessment with a collagen-stained section; however, the ultra-early stage of liver fibrosis is challenging to identify because of the low sensitivity in the collagen-selective staining method. In the present study, we demonstrate the feasibility of second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy in the histopathological diagnosis of the liver of NAFLD patients for the quantitative assessment of the ultra-early stage of fibrosis. We investigated four representative NAFLD patients with early stages of fibrosis. SHG microscopy visualised well-matured fibrotic structures and early fibrosis diffusely involving liver tissues, whereas early fibrosis is challenging to be identified by conventional histopathological methods. Furthermore, the SHG emission directionality analysis revealed the maturation of each collagen fibre of each patient. As a result, SHG microscopy is feasible for assessing liver fibrosis on NAFLD patients, including the ultra-early stage of liver fibrosis that is difficult to diagnose by the conventional histopathological method. The assessment method of the ultra-early fibrosis by using SHG microscopy may serve as a crucial means for pathological, clinical, and prognostic diagnosis of NAFLD patients.

Anti-proteinase 3 antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody reflects disease activity and predicts the response to steroid therapy in ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Serum anti-proteinase 3 antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) is a disease-specific antibody against granulomatosis with polyangiitis. PR3-ANCA is a useful serological marker for disease severity in ulcerative colitis (UC). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PR3-ANCA levels could also predict the success of induction therapy and to compare its performance against other markers, including serum CRP and fecal hemoglobin. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study. In total, 159 patients with active-phase UC underwent colonoscopy. Disease activity was measured using the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES). PR3-ANCA positivity and the response to induction therapy, either 5-aminosalicylic acid or steroid, were assessed. PR3-ANCA, CRP, and fecal hemoglobin were measured during the active phase, and during clinical remission. RESULTS: Eighty-five (53.5%) of 159 patients with active UC were positive for PR3-ANCA. PR3-ANCA titers were significantly higher in the group of patients with MES 3 compared to patients with MES 1 (P = 0.002) or MES 2 (P = 0.035). Steroid therapy was administered to 56 patients with a median partial Mayo score of 7 (5-9), which is equivalent to moderate-to-severe disease activity. PR3-ANCA positivity of non-responders to steroid therapy was significantly higher than that of responders (71.9% vs, 41.7%, P = 0.030), whereas CRP and fecal hemoglobin were not predictive of steroid response. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PR3-ANCA positivity was associated with non-response to steroid therapy (odds ratio 5.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.54-17.5; P = 0.008). Of the 37 patients treated to clinical remission who were also positive for PR3-ANCA during the active phase, 27 had an MES of ≥ 1, and 10 patients had an MES of 0. In clinical remission, the proportion of patients with MES 0 in 17 patients whose PR3-ANCA became negative was significantly higher than that in 20 patients whose PR3-ANCA remained positive (47.1% vs. 10.0%, P = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: PR3-ANCA not only serves as a marker of disease activity, but also predicts the failure of steroid therapy in moderate-to-severe UC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was retrospectively registered in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry System (000039174) on January 16, 2020.

Risk stratification based on J-ACCESS risk models with myocardial perfusion imaging: Risk versus outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to validate the accuracy of major-event risk models created in the multicenter J-ACCESS prognostic study in a new cohort of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Three multivariable J-ACCESS risk models were created to predict major cardiac events (cardiac death, non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, and severe heart failure requiring hospitalization): Model 1, four variables of age, summed stress score, left ventricular ejection fraction and diabetes; Model 2 with five variables including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, continuous); and Model 3 with categorical eGFR. The validation data used three-year (3y) cohort of patients with CKD (n = 526, major events 11.2%). Survival analysis of low (< 3%/3y), intermediate (3% to 9%/3y), and high (> 9%/3y)-risk groups showed good stratification by all three models (actual event rates: 3.1%, 9.9%, and 15.9% in the three groups with eGFR ≥ 15 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = .0087 (Model 2). However, actual event rates were equally high across all risk groups of patients with eGFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2. CONCLUSION: The J-ACCESS risk models can stratify patients with CKD and eGFR ≥ 15 mL/min/1.73 m2, but patients with eGFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 are potentially at high risk regardless of estimated risk values.

Histopathological analysis of autoimmune hepatitis with "acute" presentation: Differentiation from drug-induced liver injury.

AIM: Presently, no standardized definition or acceptable diagnostic criteria have been established for acute presentation of autoimmune hepatitis (AP-AIH), making it difficult to differentiate that condition from drug-induced liver injury (DILI). This study aimed to characterize clinical and histological features for distinguishing between AP-AIH and DILI. METHODS: Clinical, biochemical, and histological characteristics of AP-AIH and DILI in clinically well-characterized cases were compared in a standardized manner to clarify differences. RESULTS: In clinical evaluations, immunoglobulin G level and rate of anti-nuclear antibody positivity were greater in AP-AIH than DILI cases. As for diagnosis of each condition, significant (P < 0.01) differences were found for 10 features: lobular necrosis/inflammation, cobblestone appearance of hepatocytes, plasma cell infiltration in liver parenchyma, centrilobular fibrosis, hepatic rosette formation in areas with cobblestone appearance, portal inflammation, interface hepatitis, prominent plasma cells in portal areas, bile duct injury, and hepatic rosette formation in periportal areas. The area under the curve and cut-off values for the combination of these 10 features were 0.95 and 9 (sensitivity 86%, specificity 90%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Combinations of histological features were found to be helpful for differentiating AP-AIH from DILI, but we were not able to statistically identify an individual feature as definitive.

Prognostic study of cardiac events in Japanese patients with chronic kidney disease using ECG-gated myocardial Perfusion imaging: Final 3-year report of the J-ACCESS 3 study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is considered useful for risk stratification among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), without renal deterioration by contrast media. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Japanese Assessment of Cardiac Events and Survival Study by Quantitative Gated SPECT (J-ACCESS 3) is a multicenter, prospective cohort study investigating the ability of MPI to predict cardiac events in 529 CKD patients without a definitive coronary artery disease. All patients were assessed by stress and rest MPI with 99mTc-tetrofosmin and data were analyzed using a defect scoring method and QGS software. Major cardiac events were analyzed for 3 years after registration. The mean eGFR was 29.0 ± 12.8 (mL/minute/1.73 m2). The mean summed stress/rest/difference (SSS, SRS, SDS) scores were 1.9 ± 3.8, 1.1 ± 3.0, and 0.8 ± 1.8, respectively. A total of 60 cardiac events (three cardiac deaths, six sudden deaths, five nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 46 hospitalization cases for heart failure) occurred. The event-free survival rate was lower among patients with kidney dysfunction, higher SSS, and higher CRP values. Multivariate Cox regression analysis independently associated SSS ≥8, eGFR <15 (mL/minute/1.73 m2), and CRP ≥0.3 (mg/dL) with cardiac events. CONCLUSIONS: Together with eGFR and CRP, MPI can predict cardiac events in patients with CKD.

[A case of small intestinal ulcer caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs patch].

A ring-shaped ulcer was observed in the ileum of a 70-year-old male patient with capsule endoscopy of the small intestine performed for detailed investigation of black stools and iron deficiency anemia. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use in patch form was considered as the etiology. The NSAIDs patches were discontinued, and protective therapy for small intestinal mucosa was initiated. The anemia improved;however, ileus originating from the site of the ulcer required surgical resection. The resected specimen showed no specific pathological findings. Based on the clinical findings, the patient was diagnosed with NSAIDs-induced small intestinal ulcer. The use of NSAIDs patches should be considered as a potential cause of injury to gastrointestinal mucosa.

The renoprotective effect and safety of a DPP-4 inhibitor, sitagliptin, at a small dose in type 2 diabetic patients with a renal dysfunction when changed from other DPP-4 inhibitors: REAL trial.

BACKGROUND: We conducted the multicenter, prospective, open-label study in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients with renal dysfunction, to clarify the efficacy and the safety in relation to renal function and glycemic control, and the economic effect when other dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors were switched to a small dose of sitagliptin depending on their renal function. METHODS: Vildagliptin, alogliptin, or linagliptin received for more than 2 months were changed to sitagliptin at 25 or 12.5 mg/day depending on their renal function in 49 T2DMs. Renal function and glycemic control, and the drug cost were assessed during 6 months. RESULTS: Estimated glomerular filtration rate was not changed in patients not on hemodialysis (n = 29). The HbA1c levels were not altered in all of the patients including those on hemodialysis (n = 20). The active glucagon-like peptide-1 levels or other renal parameters were not altered significantly. There were no adverse events to be related to the drugs. The daily drug expense was reduced by 88.1 yen per patient. CONCLUSION: Switching to a small dose of sitagliptin according to the renal function in T2DM patients with renal dysfunction demonstrated the same efficacy and safety as those with other full-dose DPP-4 inhibitors, indicating a therapeutic option with a high cost performance.

[A case of metastatic prostate cancer with gastric metastases and high serum CEA].

A 74-year-old male who was receiving endocrine therapy for prostate cancer, with multiple bone and lymph node metastases (T2bN1M1 Stage D2), underwent follow-up computed tomography (CT). The CT revealed multiple liver metastases, a high serum CEA level, and an unchanged PSA level. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an elevated lesion with mucosal erosion on the lesser curvature of the middle gastric corpus, revealed to be a metastatic prostate cancer lesion following immunohistochemical confirmation. This case demonstrates the potential for gastric metastases in patients with advanced prostate cancer and high serum CEA levels.

Clinicopathological Study of Autoimmune Hepatitis Cases That Were Difficult to Differentiate from Drug-Induced Liver Injury.

AIM: Acute-onset autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) histopathologically presents with features of acute hepatitis and lacks a specific diagnostic method. Also, AIH is often difficult to differentiate from drug-induced liver injury (DILI). We aimed to investigate the final clinical diagnosis of these cases, and compare the clinical, biochemical, and histological characteristics of AIH vs. DILI. METHODS: We examined the Digestive Disease Week Japan 2004 (DDW-J) scale scores, AIH scores, clinical data, and pathological findings in 20 patients in whom it was difficult to differentiate autoimmune liver disease from DILI. RESULTS: In cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≥5, there was a good correlation between the final diagnosis and DDW-J scale assessments, but in cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≦4 they did not correlate well. The scores for pathological findings, such as cobblestone hepatocellular change (p = 0.015), interface hepatitis (p = 0.012), and prominent plasma cells in portal areas (p = 0.011), were higher in the AIH group than in the DILI group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that DDW-J scale was useful for differentiating AIH from DILI in cases with a DDW-J scale score of ≧5. The histologic features of AIH were characterized by cobblestone hepatocellular change, interface hepatitis, and plasma cell infiltration of the portal region.

Effects of cigarette smoking on ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in treated hypertensive patients.

We investigated the influence of cigarette smoking on the levels and circadian patterns of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and HR variability (HRV) in hypertensive patients. Sixteen hypertensive smokers (57 ± 2 years old) receiving antihypertensive treatments participated in this study. Ambulatory monitoring of BP, HR, and electrocardiograms was performed every 30 min for 24 hours on a smoking day and nonsmoking day in a randomized crossover manner. Average 24-hour BP and daytime BP were significantly higher in the smoking period than in the nonsmoking period. No significant differences were observed in nighttime BP between the two periods. Average 24-hour and daytime HR, but not nighttime HR, were also higher in the smoking period than in the nonsmoking period. The daytime high frequency (HF) component of HRV was attenuated more in the smoking period than in the nonsmoking period. No significant differences were observed in the low frequency (LF) components of HRV or LF/HF ratio between the two periods. These results demonstrated that cigarette smoking increased the daytime and average 24-hour BP and HR, and the increases observed in daytime BP and HR were associated with the attenuation of parasympathetic nerve activity.

Comparison of Liver Biopsy Findings with the Digestive Disease Week Japan 2004 Scale for Diagnosis of Drug-Induced Liver Injury.

The liver biopsy remains a valuable tool in the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The Digestive Disease Week Japan 2004 (DDW-J) scale proposed as an objective tool for the diagnosis of DILI has been widely used in Japan. So far, the histological features have not been compared with DDW-J scale in detail. Herein, we examined the correlation between liver biopsy findings and clinical features, particularly DDW-J scales. A total of 80 patients with liver injuries of unknown cause were enrolled. Based on the histological findings, these cases were categorized into 3 groups: A (DILI was strongly suspected), B (DILI was suspected), and C (DILI should be considered in the differential diagnosis). Histological groups and DDW-J scale were moderately correlated (κ = 0.60). The mean total DDW-J scale scores were as follows: 4.89 for A, 3.26 for B, and 0.75 for C (p < 0.05). While hepatocellular type was coincided in a majority of cases by histological and DDW-J scale evaluation, cholestatic type was not well coincided. In conclusion, biopsy findings and DDW-J scale were well correlated, and the hepatocellular type of liver injuries was well coincided by both evaluations, though there were several discrepant cases, particularly in cholestatic type.

Effects of a selective aldosterone blocker and thiazide-type diuretic on blood pressure and organ damage in hypertensive patients.

The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of the aldosterone blocker eplerenone and thiazide-like diuretic indapamide on blood pressure (BP) and target organs with reference to salt intake in hypertensive outpatients. Twenty hypertensive patients (nine women and 11 men, mean age 71 ± 13 years) with inadequate BP control despite taking calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) were administered eplerenone (50 mg/day) or indapamide (1 mg/day) for 3 months each in a randomized crossover manner. Salt intake, BP and indices of organ damage were assessed at baseline and at the end of each treatment period. Eplerenone and indapamide were similarly effective in lowering office and home BPs. Both the treatments significantly reduced the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and increased serum uric acid levels. The treatment with eplerenone significantly increased serum potassium levels, whereas the treatment with indapamide significantly decreased them. The treatment with eplerenone significantly decreased pulse wave velocity and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels. These changes were not significantly affected by the treatment with indapamide. In conclusion, eplerenone and indapamide were similarly effective in lowering office and home BPs in hypertensive patients treated with CCBs and ARBs. Eplerenone may exert more favorable effects on arterial stiffness and oxidative stress.

Effects of daily walking on office, home and 24-h blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Aerobic exercise has been recommended in the management of hypertension. However, few studies have examined the effect of walking on ambulatory blood pressure (BP), and no studies have employed home BP monitoring. We investigated the effects of daily walking on office, home, and 24-h ambulatory BP in hypertensive patients. Sixty-five treated or untreated patients with essential hypertension (39 women and 26 men, 60 ± 9 years) were examined in a randomized cross-over design. The patients were asked to take a daily walk of 30-60 min to achieve 10 000 steps/d for 4 weeks, and to maintain usual activities for another 4 weeks. The number of steps taken and home BP were recorded everyday. Measurement of office and ambulatory BP, and sampling of blood and urine were performed at the end of each period. The average number of steps were 5349 ± 2267/d and 10 049 ± 3403/d in the control and walking period, respectively. Body weight and urinary sodium excretion did not change. Office, home, and 24-h BP in the walking period were lower compared to the control period by 2.6 ± 9.4/1.3 ± 4.9 mmHg (p < 0.05), 1.6 ± 6.8/1.5 ± 3.7 mmHg (p < 0.01), and 2.4 ± 7.6/1.8 ± 5.3 mmHg (p < 0.01), respectively. Average 24-h heart rate and serum triglyceride also decreased significantly. The changes in 24-h BP with walking significantly correlated with the average 24-h BP in the control period. In conclusion, daily walking lowered office, home, and 24-h BP, and improved 24-h heart rate and lipid metabolism in hypertensive patients. However, the small changes in BP may limit the value of walking as a non-pharmacologic therapy for hypertension.

Awareness of salt restriction and actual salt intake in hypertensive patients at a hypertension clinic and general clinic.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate awareness of salt restriction and actual salt intake in hypertensive patients at a hypertension clinic and general clinic. Subjects included 330 patients, with a mean age of 69±12 years, who were followed at a hypertension clinic and 200 patients, with a mean age of 67±11 years, who were followed at a general clinic. We estimated 24-h salt excretion using spot urine samples and checked the awareness of salt intake using a self-description questionnaire. The number of antihypertensive drugs available at the hypertension clinic was significantly higher than that at the general clinic (2.2±1.1 versus 1.6±0.9, p<0.01); however, no significant difference was observed in office systolic blood pressure between the two groups. Urinary salt excretion was significantly lower at the hypertension clinic than at the general clinic (8.7±2.5 versus 9.3±2.5 g/d, p<0.01). The rate of achievement of salt intake<6 g/d was 15% at the hypertension clinic and 6% at the general clinic. In patients with excessive salt intake (≥10 g/d), 28% of patients at the hypertensive clinic and 23% at the general clinic thought that their salt intake was low. Urinary salt excretion in hypertensive patients was lower at a hypertensive clinic than at a general clinic. This may be due to the professional nutritional guidance at the hypertension clinic. However, most patients could not comply with the guidelines, and the awareness of salt restriction in patients with excessive salt intake was low.

Trends in the awareness of salt restriction and actual salt intake in hypertensive patients at a hypertension clinic and general clinic: A one-year follow-up study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate trends in the awareness of salt restriction and actual salt intake in hypertensive patients at a hypertension clinic and general clinic following guidance regarding salt restriction. Subjects comprised 107 patients (mean age 71 ± 12 years) who were followed at a hypertension clinic and 164 patients (mean age 68 ± 11 years) who were followed at a general clinic. Estimated salt intake using spot urine samples and awareness of salt intake using a self-description questionnaire were assessed in 2013 and one year after guidance regarding salt restriction. No significant changes were observed in office blood pressure at the two clinics. Estimated salt intake in 2013 was slightly lower at the hypertension clinic than at the general clinic (8.9 ± 2.5 vs 9.3 ± 2.5 g/day). Estimated salt intake decreased and the awareness of salt intake improved significantly after one year at both clinics; however, the reduction in estimated salt intake was larger at the general clinic than that at the hypertension clinic (-1.6 ± 3.2 vs -0.6 ± 2.9 g/day, p < 0.01). Individual guidance including data on actual salt intake appeared to be effective and important for reducing salt intake in hypertensive patients.

Related factors for worsening renal function following percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.

PURPOSE: To identify candidates for PTRA in terms of the preservation of renal function, we herein evaluated factors that caused worsening renal function (WRF) after PTRA. METHODS: We evaluated 92 patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (mean age 70.7 ± 8.4 years). WRF was defined as a ≥0.3 mg/dL increase in creatinine levels after PTRA compared to before PTRA. RESULTS: A total of 92 patients exhibited non-WRF 83 (90.2%), WRF 9 (9.8%). Significant differences were observed in serum creatinine levels between two groups both before (non-WRF 1.34 ± 0.49 versus WRF 1.70 ± 0.68 mg/dL, p = 0.0462) and after PTRA (non-WRF 1.31 ± 0.43 versus WRF 2.42 ± 1.12 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). Patients with WRF had higher comorbidity rate of diabetes mellitus (DM) (non-WRF 31.3% versus WRF 66.7%, p = 0.0345) and proteinuria (non-WRF 27.7% versus WRF 66.7%, p = 0.0169), and had higher systolic blood pressure (non-WRF 143.6 ± 18.7 versus WRF 157.1 ± 19.9 mmHg, p = 0.0436), higher plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, and larger left atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions before PTRA. Patients with WRF had a higher rate of taking diuretics (non-WRF 27.7% versus WRF 66.7%, p = 0.0169) after PTRA. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that comorbidity of DM was an independent related factor for WRF (comorbidity of DM, yes: OR 31.0, 95% CI 2.44-1024.62, p = 0.0055). CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity of DM, coexisting of proteinuria, high creatinine level, high blood pressure, high BNP levels, and large left atrial and ventricular dimensions were related to WRF after PTRA in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.

Myocardial perfusion imaging for predicting cardiac events in Japanese patients with advanced chronic kidney disease: 1-year interim report of the J-ACCESS 3 investigation.

PURPOSE: Whether myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) can predict cardiac events in patients with advanced conservative chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. METHODS: The present multicenter prospective cohort study aimed to clarify the ability of MPI to predict cardiac events in 529 patients with CKD and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) < 50 ml/min per 1.73(2) without a definitive diagnosis of coronary artery disease. All patients were assessed by stress-rest MPI with (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin and analyzed using summed defect scores and QGS software. Cardiac events were analyzed 1 year after registration. RESULTS: Myocardial perfusion abnormalities defined as summed stress score (SSS) ≥4 and ≥8 were identified in 19 and 7 % of patients, respectively. At the end of the 1-year follow-up, 33 (6.2 %) cardiac events had occurred that included cardiac death, sudden death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and hospitalization due to heart failure. The event-free rates at that time were 0.95, 0.90, and 0.81 for groups with SSS 0-3, 4-7, and ≥8, respectively (p = 0.0009). Thus, patients with abnormal SSS had a higher incidence of cardiac events. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SSS significantly impacts the prediction of cardiac events independently of eGFR and left ventricular ejection fraction. CONCLUSION: MPI would be useful to stratify patients with advanced conservative CKD who are at high risk of cardiac events without adversely affecting damaged kidneys.

Trend of office and home blood pressure control in treated hypertensive patients: changes in antihypertensive medication and salt intake.

Blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensives has improved in recent years; however, it remains insufficient. We investigated the trend of BP control status in hypertensive patients with antihypertensive medication and salt intake. Two hundred and eight treated hypertensive patients were prospectively followed between 2007 and 2012. During this period, average clinic BP significantly decreased from 137±12/80±9 to 133±11/76±8 mmHg, and the achievement rate of BP control defined as <140/90 mmHg increased from 58% to 71% (p<0.01). Morning home BP also significantly decreased from 132±8/80±8 to 130±8/76±7 mmHg, and the percentage of patients with sustained hypertension (CBP≥140/90 mmHg and HBP≥135/85 mmHg) decreased from 27% to 16% (p<0.05). The number of antihypertensive drugs increased significantly from 2.1±1.2 to 2.3±1.1 (p<0.01), while no differences were observed in urinary salt excretion (9.0±2.4 g/day in 2007, 9.0±2.6 g/day in 2012). Office and home BP decreased and the rate of BP control increased in treated hypertensive patients in the past 5 years. Intensive pharmacological therapy, but not a reduction in salt intake appears to have contributed to improved BP control.