Última generación de prótesis percutáneas expandibles con balón y autoexpandibles en la estenosis aórtica bicúspide: estudio TRITON / Latest-iteration balloon- and self-expandable transcatheter valves for severe bicuspid aortic stenosis: the TRITON study

Introducción y objetivos: La última generación de válvulas cardiacas expandibles con balón y autoexpandibles para implante percutáneo no se han comparado en valvulopatía aórtica bicúspide (VAB).Métodos: Registro multicéntrico de pacientes consecutivos con VAB y estenosis grave tratados con las válvulas cardiacas expandibles con balón (Myval y SAPIEN 3 Ultra [S3U]) o autoexpandible Evolut PRO+(EP+). Se realizó un análisis de tripletes mediante el software TriMatch para minimizar el impacto de las diferencias basales. El objetivo primario del estudio fue evaluar la tasa de éxito del dispositivo a 30 días y los objetivos secundarios, el objetivo combinado de seguridad y sus componentes individuales a 30 días.Resultados: Se incluyó a 360 pacientes (media de edad, 76,6±7,6 años; el 71,9% varones); 122 con Myval (33,9%), 129 con S3U (35,8%) y 109 con EP+(30,3%). La media de puntuación STS fue de 3,6±1,9%. No hubo ningún caso de oclusión coronaria, rotura de anillo, disección aórtica o mortalidad periprocedimiento. El evento primario de éxito del dispositivo a 30-días fue significativamente superior en el grupo que recibió Myval (Myval, 100%; S3U, 87,5%, y EP+, 81,3%), fundamentalmente a expensas de mayor gradiente residual con S3U y mayor tasa de insuficiencia aórtica al menos moderada con EP+. La tasa no ajustada de implante de marcapasos no presentó diferencias significativas.Conclusiones: En la VAB con estenosis grave y cirugía contraindicada, Myval, S3U y EP+tuvieron una seguridad comparable, aunque Myval presentó mejor gradiente residual que S3U y ambos dispositivos expandibles con balón resultaron en menos fuga perivalvular residual que EP+. Por lo tanto, ajustándose a los riesgos específicos de cada paciente, se puede seleccionar cualquiera de los 3 dispositivos con resultados óptimos.(AU)

Introduction and objectives: No comparisons have been published yet regarding the newest iteration of balloon- and self-expandable transcatheter heart valves for the treatment of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.Methods: Multicenter registry of consecutive patients with severe BAV stenosis treated with balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valves (Myval and SAPIEN 3 Ultra, S3U) or self-expanding Evolut PRO+(EP+). TriMatch analysis was carried out to minimize the impact of baseline differences. The primary endpoint of the study was 30-day device success, and the secondary endpoints were the composite and individual components of early safety at 30 days.Results: A total of 360 patients (age 76.6±7.6 years, 71.9% males) were included: 122 Myval (33.9%), 129 S3U (35.8%), and 109 EP+(30.3%). The mean STS score was 3.6±1.9%. There were no cases of coronary artery occlusion, annulus rupture, aortic dissection, or procedural death. The primary endpoint of device success at 30 days was significantly higher in the Myval group (Myval: 100%; S3U: 87.5%; and EP+: 81.3%), mainly due to higher residual aortic gradients with S3U and greater≥moderate aortic regurgitation (AR) with EP+. No significant differences were found in the unadjusted rate of pacemaker implantation.Conclusions: In patients with BAV stenosis deemed unsuitable for surgery, Myval, S3U and EP+showed similar safety but balloon-expandable Myval had better gradients than S3U, and both balloon-expandable devices had lower residual AR than EP+, suggesting that, taking into consideration the patient-specific risks, any of these devices can be selected with optimal outcomes.(AU)

Haemodynamic performance and clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the self-expanding ACURATE neo2

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the ACURATE neo device has been associated with a non-negligible incidence of paravalvular aortic regurgitation (AR). The new-generation ACURATE neo2 has been designed to mitigate this limitation. AIMS: The aim of the study was to compare TAVR with the ACURATE neo and neo2 devices. METHODS: The NEOPRO and NEOPRO-2 registries retrospectively included patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR with self-expanding valves at 24 and 20 centres, respectively. Patients receiving the ACURATE neo and neo2 devices (from January 2012 to December 2021) were included in this study. Predischarge and 30-day VARC-3 defined outcomes were evaluated. The primary endpoint was predischarge moderate or severe paravalvular AR. Subgroup analyses per degree of aortic valve calcification were performed. RESULTS: A total of 2,026 patients (neo: 1,263, neo2: 763) were included. Predischarge moderate or severe paravalvular AR was less frequent for the neo2 group (2% vs 5%; p<0.001), resulting in higher VARC-3 intended valve performance (96% vs 90%; p<0.001). Furthermore, more patients receiving the neo2 had none/trace paravalvular AR (59% vs 38%; p<0.001). The reduction in paravalvular AR with neo2 was mainly observed with heavy aortic valve calcification. New pacemaker implantation and VARC-3 technical and device success rates were similar between the 2 groups; there were more frequent vascular and bleeding complications for the neo device. Similar 1-year survival was detected after TAVR (neo2: 90% vs neo: 87%; p=0.14). CONCLUSIONS: TAVR with the ACURATE neo2 device was associated with a lower prevalence of moderate or severe paravalvular AR and more patients with none/trace paravalvular AR. This difference was particularly evident with heavy aortic valve calcification.

Improved transfemoral accessibility and positioning of the Portico transcatheter heart valve with the new FlexNav delivery system.

The new iteration of the Portico transcatheter heart valve delivery system, the FlexNav, has been designed to enhance procedural safety and accuracy of the platform. Major technological advancements were the significant reduction of the insertion profile, allowing a transfemoral access down to 5.0 mm vessels, and the addition of a stability layer, improving deployment accuracy and thus potentially reducing implantation depth and permanent pacemaker implantation rate. Published data on patients undergoing Portico transcatheter heart valve implantation with the new FlexNav delivery system confirms excellent procedural and 30-day safety profile.

Lay abstract Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, a minimally invasive alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement, has become an established treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis approved across the entire spectrum of risk, from patient's ineligible for surgery to those at low risk. With the rapid spread of transcatheter aortic valve replacement to younger patients, researchers are focusing on reducing procedural adverse events rates, such as pacemaker implantation or access site-related complication, and increase procedural accuracy. The new FlexNav delivery system, employed to implant the Portico transcatheter heart valve, had recently proved its procedural safety and, with its major technological advancements encompassing a reduced insertion profile and an improved device stability during implant, may significantly reduce pacemaker implantation and access site-related complication rate.

Protein Oxidative Damage in UV-Related Skin Cancer and Dysplastic Lesions Contributes to Neoplastic Promotion and Progression.

The ultraviolet (UV) component of solar radiation is the major driving force of skin carcinogenesis. Most of studies on UV carcinogenesis actually focus on DNA damage while their proteome-damaging ability and its contribution to skin carcinogenesis have remained largely underexplored. A redox proteomic analysis of oxidized proteins in solar-induced neoplastic skin lesion and perilesional areas has been conducted showing that the protein oxidative burden mostly concerns a selected number of proteins participating to a defined set of functions, namely: chaperoning and stress response; protein folding/refolding and protein quality control; proteasomal function; DNA damage repair; protein- and vesicle-trafficking; cell architecture, adhesion/extra-cellular matrix (ECM) interaction; proliferation/oncosuppression; apoptosis/survival, all of them ultimately concurring either to structural damage repair or to damage detoxication and stress response. In peri-neoplastic areas the oxidative alterations are conducive to the persistence of genetic alterations, dysfunctional apoptosis surveillance, and a disrupted extracellular environment, thus creating the condition for transformant clones to establish, expand and progress. A comparatively lower burden of oxidative damage is observed in neoplastic areas. Such a finding can reflect an adaptive selection of best fitting clones to the sharply pro-oxidant neoplastic environment. In this context the DNA damage response appears severely perturbed, thus sustaining an increased genomic instability and an accelerated rate of neoplastic evolution. In conclusion UV radiation, in addition to being a cancer-initiating agent, can act, through protein oxidation, as a cancer-promoting agent and as an inducer of genomic instability concurring with the neoplastic progression of established lesions.