Safety and Efficacy of Mini-invasive left atrial appendage closure : a propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) for stroke prevention is validated in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) contraindicated to oral anticoagulation. General anesthesia (GA) is often used for procedural guidance by trans-oesophageal echocardiography (TEE); however, its use may be challenging in some patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and the mid-term efficacy of a mini-invasive LAAC strategy using micro-TEE under procedural sedation. METHODS: Comparison by propensity score of two cohorts of consecutive patients who underwent LAAC: standard TEE-guided LAAC (3D-TEE under GA) and, mini-invasive LAAC strategy (micro-TEE under procedural sedation). The primary endpoint was a composite of embolic or bleeding events, significant per-procedural complication, and cardiovascular deaths within 3 months after LAAC. RESULTS: In total, 432 patients were included (78.7±8 years old, 32.4% of women, CHA2DS2VASC score:4.9±1.1); 127 patients underwent mini-invasive LAAC strategy and were compared to 305 patients standard TEE-guided LAAC. The mini-invasive strategy was acheived in 122/127 (96.1%) planned patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 11.2% of patients from the mini-invasive LAAC strategy group and in 10.3% of patients from the standard TEE group (absolute difference = 0.9%[-6.4; 4.5], hazard-ratio=1.11[0.56; 2.19], p=0.76). Procedural times, fluoroscopy duration and hospital stays were shorter in the mini-invasive LAAC strategy group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The mini-invasive LAAC strategy is safe and effective compared to the standard TEE-guided LAAC strategy. A mini-invasive LAAC strategy may also be an important tool to help physicians to treat more patients as LAAC indications evolve in the future.

Contribution of omics to biopreservation: Toward food microbiome engineering.

Biopreservation is a sustainable approach to improve food safety and maintain or extend food shelf life by using beneficial microorganisms or their metabolites. Over the past 20 years, omics techniques have revolutionised food microbiology including biopreservation. A range of methods including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and meta-omics derivatives have highlighted the potential of biopreservation to improve the microbial safety of various foods. This review shows how these approaches have contributed to the selection of biopreservation agents, to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and of their efficiency and impact within the food ecosystem. It also presents the potential of combining omics with complementary approaches to take into account better the complexity of food microbiomes at multiple scales, from the cell to the community levels, and their spatial, physicochemical and microbiological heterogeneity. The latest advances in biopreservation through omics have emphasised the importance of considering food as a complex and dynamic microbiome that requires integrated engineering strategies to increase the rate of innovation production in order to meet the safety, environmental and economic challenges of the agri-food sector.

Analysis of viromes and microbiomes from pig fecal samples reveals that phages and prophages rarely carry antibiotic resistance genes.

Understanding the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is critical for human health. For this, it is necessary to identify which type of mobile genetic elements is able to spread them from animal reservoirs into human pathogens. Previous research suggests that in pig feces, ARGs may be encoded by bacteriophages. However, convincing proof for phage-encoded ARGs in pig viromes is still lacking, because of bacterial DNA contaminating issues. We collected 14 pig fecal samples and performed deep sequencing on both highly purified viral fractions and total microbiota, in order to investigate phage and prophage-encoded ARGs. We show that ARGs are absent from the genomes of active, virion-forming phages (below 0.02% of viral contigs from viromes), but present in three prophages, representing 0.02% of the viral contigs identified in the microbial dataset. However, the corresponding phages were not detected in the viromes, and their genetic maps suggest they might be defective. We conclude that among pig fecal samples, phages and prophages rarely carry ARG. Furthermore, our dataset allows for the first time a comprehensive view of the interplay between prophages and viral particles, and uncovers two large clades, inoviruses and Oengus-like phages.

Treatment with disinfectants may induce an increase in viable but non culturable populations of Listeria monocytogenes in biofilms formed in smoked salmon processing environments.

The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the impact of two industrial disinfectants on the viability of Listeria monocytogenes populations in biofilm and 2) to investigate the viability state of L. monocytogenes cells present on contact surfaces in the smoked salmon processing environment. In the first step, we cultured mono species and mixed species biofilms containing L. monocytogenes on stainless steel or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 8 °C for 48h. The biofilms were then exposed to quaternary ammonium- and hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants. Residual total populations of L. monocytogenes were measured by qPCR, and viable culturable (VC) cell populations were quantified using standard microbiological culture-based techniques and by a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay coupled with a propidium monoazide treatment. Decreases in VC populations and the appearance of viable but non culturable (VBNC) populations were observed in response to treatment with the disinfectants. An 8 month sampling campaign in 4 smoked salmon processing plants was also carried out to detect L. monocytogenes in environmental samples. VBNC cells were detected mainly after the cleaning and disinfection operations. This study showed that industrial disinfectants did not inactivate all L. monocytogenes cells on inert surfaces. The presence of VBNC populations of L. monocytogenes in the smoked salmon processing environment is a public health concern.

Comparison of the performance of the biofilm sampling methods (swab, sponge, contact agar) in the recovery of Listeria monocytogenes populations considering the seafood environment conditions.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of sampling methods [contact plates, sponges, and swabs] in the recovery of biofilm Listeria monocytogenes populations considering the seafood environment conditions (nature of conditioning, of materials and bacterial species). METHODS AND RESULTS: Different materials (stainless steel, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane) were conditioned with two fish filtrates, the ready-to-eat the most consumed in Europe (smoked salmon, cod). After, we added the suspension of Listeria monocytogenes, alone or with Pseudomonas fluorescens or Carnobacterium strains, and incubated for 48 h at 8 °C. Then, the 48 h-biofilms were sampled with different methods (contact plates, sponges, and swabs). The cultivable bacterial populations were enumerated on agar, while the L. monocytogenes total and viable populations were quantified by qPCR and propidium monoazide-qPCR (PMA-qPCR), respectively. The amount of L. monocytogenes in biofilms was affected only by the nature of the conditioning with lowest adherent bacteria with cod versus with smoked salmon conditioning. Considering the amount of total population, the swab displayed the lowest values versus the sponges and the contact plates. An explanation was that the observations of the swab by microscopy showed the bacteria trapped within it. The recovery of cultivable bacterial populations was not significantly different with the three sampling methods. On the contrary, we showed that the VBNC populations were only detached by two of three methods (contact plates, sponges) while for the dead populations, those were contact plates and swabs. CONCLUSIONS: The nature of the conditioning influenced the amount of the bacteria in biofilms. And the performance of the recovery of the bacterial populations (dead, VBNC, cultivable) was dependent on the methods used. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study showed that the seafood environmental conditions influenced the biofilm formation and the assessment of the efficiency of cleaning and disinfectant operations could be significantly affected by the used sampling methods.

European survey and evaluation of sampling methods recommended by the standard EN ISO 18593 for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens on industrial surfaces.

The ready-to-eat products can be contaminated during processing by pathogen or spoilage bacteria, which persist in the industrial environment. Some bacterial species are able to form biofilms which protect them from environmental conditions. To check the bacterial contamination of the surfaces in the food industries, the professionals must regularly use surface sampling methods to detect the pathogen such as Listeria monocytogenes or the spoilage such as Pseudomonas fluorescens. In 2010, we designed and carried out a European survey to collect surface sampling information to detect or enumerate L. monocytogenes in food processing plants. A total of 137 questionnaires from 14 European Union Member States were returned. The outcome of this survey showed that the professionals preferred friction sampling methods with gauze pad, swab and sponges versus contact sampling methods. After this survey, we compared the effectiveness of these three friction sampling methods and the contact plates, as recommended in the standard EN ISO 18593 that was revised in 2018, on the recovery of L. monocytogenes and of P. fluorescens in mono-specie biofilms. This study showed no significant difference between the effectiveness of the four sampling methods to detach the viable and culturable bacterial population of theses mono-specie biofilms.

Age-related deficits in speech production: From phonological planning to motor implementation.

Speaking is one of the most complex motor actions that humans can perform, requiring the coordination between linguistic, cognitive, affective and sensorimotor systems. Perhaps counter-intuitively, it is also one of the easiest acts that humans perform, on a daily basis, from a very early age till the end of life, without even thinking about it. With age, however, spoken language production undergoes significant changes, with potential impacts on interpersonal communication and social participation. Unfortunately, the neurobiological mechanisms involved are unclear, which impedes efforts towards the development of clinical interventions, differential diagnosis strategies and even prevention strategies for this population. In the present study, we examined age differences in speech production using a simple diadochokinetic rates task in which phonological and sequential complexity were manipulated. 85 cognitively healthy adults (20-93 years) were recruited from the general population. Cognitive level, hearing and depression symptoms were measured. Participants produced short and long sequences of simple and complex syllables aloud as quickly, steadily and accurately as possible. Performance was assessed in terms of articulation rate, articulation rate stability and accuracy. Results show that, controlling for cognition, hearing and depression, articulation rate stability and accuracy declined significantly with age. The phonological manipulation had more impact on performance than the sequential manipulation. These findings were interpreted as reflecting age-related central disruptions at the level of phonological and motor planning, which provides important new cues into underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

Phylogenetic network analysis applied to pig gut microbiota identifies an ecosystem structure linked with growth traits.

The ecological interactions within the gut microbial communities are complex and far from being fully understood. Here we report the first study that aims at defining the interaction network of the gut microbiota in pigs and comparing it with the enterotype-like clustering analysis. Fecal microbiota of 518 healthy piglets was characterized by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Two networks were constructed at the genus and operational taxonomic unit levels. Within-network interactions mirrored the human gut microbiota relationships, with a strong co-exclusion between Prevotella and Ruminococcus genera, and were consistent with the two enterotype-like clusters identified in the pig microbiota. Remarkably, the cluster classification of the individuals was significantly associated with the body weight at 60 days of age (P=0.005) and average daily gain (P=0.027). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide an integrated overview of the porcine gut microbiota that suggests a conservation of the ecological community interactions and functional architecture between humans and pig. Moreover, we show that the microbial ecosystems and porcine growth traits are linked, which allows us to foresee that the enterotype concept may have an important role in the animal production industry.

Comparison of Objective and Subjective Life Balance Between Women With and Without a Personality Disorder.

Life balance is associated to health, well-being and quality of life and is a target of psychiatric rehabilitation interventions. However, little is known about this life dimension in women living with personality disorders. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to compare and explore relationships between subjective life balance, objective time use, quality of life and perceived stress in women without a mental health disorder (n = 43) and women with a personality disorder (clusters B and C) (n = 30), aged between 18 and 50 years old. The variables were measured with the Life Balance Inventory (subjective life balance), the Occupational Questionnaire (objective time use), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (perceived stress) and the Quality of Life Index (satisfaction and importance with life domains). The analyses showed that women with a personality disorder spend significantly less time in work but more time in daily tasks and leisure. Subjective life balance, quality of life and perceived stress were significantly lower in women with a personality disorder (p < 0.05). In women with a personality disorder, subjective life balance was explained by quality of life (R2 = 27.5 %). In women without a mental illness, subjective life balance was explained by quality of life and motherhood (R2 = 36.1 %). To support the recovery of women with personality disorders and their quality of life, it is important to address objective and subjective time use to enable accomplishment of a variety of meaningful activities.

Early-life establishment of the swine gut microbiome and impact on host phenotypes.

Early bacterial colonization and succession within the gastrointestinal tract has been suggested to be crucial in the establishment of specific microbiota composition and the shaping of host phenotype. Here, the composition and dynamics of faecal microbiomes were studied for 31 healthy piglets across five age strata (days 14, 36, 48, 60 and 70 after birth) together with their mothers. Faecal microbiome composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene 454-pyrosequencing. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the predominant phyla present at each age. For all piglets, luminal secretory IgA concentration was measured at day 70, and body weight was recorded until day 70. The microbiota of suckling piglets was mainly represented by Bacteroides, Oscillibacter, Escherichia/Shigella, Lactobacillus and unclassified Ruminococcaceae genera. This pattern contrasted with that of Acetivibrio, Dialister, Oribacterium, Succinivibrio and Prevotella genera, which appeared increased after weaning. Lactobacillus fermentum might be vertically transferred via breast milk or faeces. The microbiota composition coevolved with their hosts towards two different clusters after weaning, primarily distinguished by unclassified Ruminococcaceae and Prevotella abundances. Prevotella was positively correlated with luminal secretory IgA concentrations, and body weight. Our study opens up new possibilities for health and feed efficiency manipulation via genetic selection and nutrition in the agricultural domain.

Origin and ecological selection of core and food-specific bacterial communities associated with meat and seafood spoilage.

The microbial spoilage of meat and seafood products with short shelf lives is responsible for a significant amount of food waste. Food spoilage is a very heterogeneous process, involving the growth of various, poorly characterized bacterial communities. In this study, we conducted 16S ribosomal RNA gene pyrosequencing on 160 samples of fresh and spoiled foods to comparatively explore the bacterial communities associated with four meat products and four seafood products that are among the most consumed food items in Europe. We show that fresh products are contaminated in part by a microbiota similar to that found on the skin and in the gut of animals. However, this animal-derived microbiota was less prevalent and less abundant than a core microbiota, psychrotrophic in nature, mainly originated from the environment (water reservoirs). We clearly show that this core community found on meat and seafood products is the main reservoir of spoilage bacteria. We also show that storage conditions exert strong selective pressure on the initial microbiota: alpha diversity in fresh samples was 189±58 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but dropped to 27±12 OTUs in spoiled samples. The OTU assemblage associated with spoilage was shaped by low storage temperatures, packaging and the nutritional value of the food matrix itself. These factors presumably act in tandem without any hierarchical pattern. Most notably, we were also able to identify putative new clades of dominant, previously undescribed bacteria occurring on spoiled seafood, a finding that emphasizes the importance of using culture-independent methods when studying food microbiota.

The potential of carboxypeptidase M as a therapeutic target in cancer.

INTRODUCTION: In the recent literature, carboxypeptidase M (CPM) emerged as a potential cancer biomarker. CPM modulates receptor signaling of kinins, anaphylatoxins, and chemokines. These CPM substrates affect proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis of cancer cells. What is the evidence that CPM is a drug target for cancer therapy? AREAS COVERED: The literature was searched using PubMed with the search terms "carboxypeptidase M" and/or "chromosome 12q13-15" eventually combined with general terms related to cancer. Information was retrieved from the GEO database and material of gene expression and proteomic studies. EXPERT OPINION: CPM is a part of the molecular signature of many cancers. There is good evidence that it is useful for the discrimination and stratification of cancer types, possibly in combination with other markers such as EGFR and MDM2. Whether it is also a drug target remains to be determined. Lung, kidney, brain, and the reproductive system contain relatively high levels of CPM, but its functions in those tissues are largely unknown. CPM is expressed on tumor-associated macrophages. To facilitate the investigation of CPM in tumor-associated inflammation and in the other aspects of tumor biology, it is necessary to develop potent and selective CPM inhibitors.

[Which indications and access routes for transcatheter aortic valve implantation? Health technology assessment from HAS]. / Quelles indications et quelles voies d'abord pour l'implantation des valves aortiques percutanées ? Évaluation technologique menée par la Haute Autorité de santé (HAS).

The transcatheter aortic valve implantation should be restricted to patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis with a contraindication for a surgical replacement (taking into account surgical risk scores, comorbidities, anatomical conditions, life expectancy and frailty). Patient eligibility should be performed by a heart team with the involvement of a cardiac surgeon, an interventional cardiologist, a clinical cardiologist and an anaesthetist/resuscitation specialist. The advice of a geriatrician is strongly recommended. The long-term efficacy remains unknown. The French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de santé [HAS]) reminds that contraindications in the CE mark should be strictly respected (i.e.instructions for use). Extension of current indications should be conditional to the presentation of clinical evidence. Thus, implantation in patients at lower surgical risk or the use of direct transaortic route are not eligible for reimbursement given the current state of knowledge.

Mapping of carboxypeptidase m in normal human kidney and renal cell carcinoma: expression in tumor-associated neovasculature and macrophages.

Although the kidney generally has been regarded as an excellent source of carboxypeptidase M (CPM), little is known about its renal-specific expression level and distribution. This study provides a detailed localization of CPM in healthy and diseased human kidneys. The results indicate a broad distribution of CPM along the renal tubular structures in the healthy kidney. CPM was identified at the parietal epithelium beneath the Bowman's basement membrane and in glomerular mesangial cells. Capillaries, podocytes, and most interstitial cells were CPM negative. Tumor cells of renal cell carcinoma subtypes lose CPM expression upon dedifferentiation. Tissue microarray analysis demonstrated a correlation between low CPM expression and tumor cell type. CPM staining was intense on phagocytotic tumor-associated macrophages. Immunoreactive CPM was also detected in the tumor-associated vasculature. The absence of CPM in normal renal blood vessels points toward a role for CPM in angiogenesis. Coexistence of CPM and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was detected in papillary renal cell carcinoma. However, the different subcellular localization of CPM and EGFR argues against an interaction between these h proteins. The description of the distribution of CPM in human kidney forms the foundation for further study of the (patho)physiological activities of CPM in the kidney.

Carboxypeptidase M in apoptosis, adipogenesis and cancer.

This review covers carboxypeptidase M (CPM) research that appeared in the literature since 2009. The focus is on aspects that are new or interesting from a clinical perspective. Available research tools are discussed as well as their pitfalls and limitations. Evidence is provided to suggest the potential involvement of CPM in apoptosis, adipogenesis and cancer. This evidence derives from the expression pattern of CPM and its putative substrates in cells and tissues. In recent years CPM emerged as a potential cancer biomarker, in well differentiated liposarcoma where the CPM gene is co-amplified with the oncogene MDM2; and in lung adenocarcinoma where coexpression with EGFR correlates with poor prognosis. The available data call for extended investigation of the function of CPM in tumor cells, tumor-associated macrophages, stromal cells and tumor neovascularisation. Such experiments could be instrumental to validate CPM as a therapeutic target.

C-terminal clipping of chemokine CCL1/I-309 enhances CCR8-mediated intracellular calcium release and anti-apoptotic activity.

Carboxypeptidase M (CPM) targets the basic amino acids arginine and lysine present at the C-terminus of peptides or proteins. CPM is thought to be involved in inflammatory processes. This is corroborated by CPM-mediated trimming and modulation of inflammatory factors, and expression of the protease in inflammatory environments. Since the function of CPM in and beyond inflammation remains mainly undefined, the identification of natural substrates can aid in discovering the (patho)physiological role of CPM. CCL1/I-309, with its three C-terminal basic amino acids, forms a potential natural substrate for CPM. CCL1 plays a role not only in inflammation but also in apoptosis, angiogenesis and tumor biology. Enzymatic processing differently impacts the biological activity of chemokines thereby contributing to the complex regulation of the chemokine system. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether (i) CCL1/I-309 is prone to trimming by CPM, and (ii) the biological activity of CCL1 is altered after C-terminal proteolytic processing. CCL1 was identified as a novel substrate for CPM in vitro using mass spectrometry. C-terminal clipping of CCL1 augmented intracellular calcium release mediated by CCR8 but reduced the binding of CCL1 to CCR8. In line with the higher intracellular calcium release, a pronounced increase of the anti-apoptotic activity of CCL1 was observed in the BW5147 cellular model. CCR8 signaling, CCR8 binding and anti-apoptotic activity were unaffected when CPM was exposed to the carboxypeptidase inhibitor DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidino-ethylthiopropanoic acid. The results of this study suggest that CPM is a likely candidate for the regulation of biological processes relying on the CCL1-CCR8 system.

Drug-eluting stents in patients at high risk of restenosis: assessment for France.

BACKGROUND: In unselected patients, the incidence of restenosis is lower after placement of drug-eluting stents (DES) than bare-metal stents (BMS) without difference in safety at a time horizon of 4 years. However, DES appears less effective in "off label" patients. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess available evidence of DES efficacy and safety by patient category to establish when DES placement may be recommended for reimbursement by the French national health insurance. METHODS: Based on a systematic review by patient category (January 2002 to August 2009), two health technology assessment (HTA) reports and thirty-eight clinical studies not covered by the HTA reports (eleven meta-analysis including ours, eleven randomized trials and sixteen cohort studies) were selected. After assessment of the methodological quality, the studies mostly comparing DES with BMS were reviewed by a panel of health professionals who defined a priori the most relevant end points of safety and efficacy. RESULTS: Seven to fourteen patients treated with DES were needed to avoid one target lesion revascularization (TLR) in patients with lesions >15 mm long, vessel diameter <3 mm, or diabetes, and with some complex lesions (total coronary occlusion, BMS in-stent restenosis multivessel disease, unprotected left main stenosis). DES appeared as safe as other alternatives over a follow-up of up to 4 years when dual antiplatelet therapy was continued for at least 1 year, but statistical power remains limited to conclude for some clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: For reimbursement, DES use should be limited to certain categories of patients. Treatment of particular cases requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Design of challenge testing experiments to assess the variability of Listeria monocytogenes growth in foods.

The assessment of the evolution of micro-organisms naturally contaminating food must take into account the variability of biological factors, food characteristics and storage conditions. A research project involving eight French laboratories was conducted to quantify the variability of growth parameters of Listeria monocytogenes obtained by challenge testing in five food products. The residual variability corresponded to a coefficient of variation (CV) of approximately 20% for the growth rate (µ(max)) and 130% for the parameter K = µ(max) × lag. The between-batch and between-manufacturer variability of µ(max) was very dependent on the food tested and mean CV of approximately 20 and 35% were observed for these two sources of variability, respectively. The initial physiological state variability led to a CV of 100% for the parameter K. It appeared that repeating a limited number of three challenge tests with three different batches (or manufacturers) and with different initial physiological states seems often necessary and adequate to accurately assess the variability of the behavior of L. monocytogenes in a specific food produced by a given manufacturer (or for a more general food designation).

Validation of a stochastic modelling approach for Listeria monocytogenes growth in refrigerated foods.

A stochastic modelling approach was developed to describe the distribution of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in foods throughout their shelf life. This model was designed to include the main sources of variability leading to a scattering of natural contaminations observed in food portions: the variability of the initial contamination, the variability of the biological parameters such as cardinal values and growth parameters, the variability of individual cell behaviours, the variability of pH and water activity of food as well as portion size, and the variability of storage temperatures. Simulated distributions of contamination were compared to observed distributions obtained on 5 day-old and 11 day-old cheese curd surfaces artificially contaminated with between 10 and 80 stressed cells and stored at 14°C, to a distribution observed in cold smoked salmon artificially contaminated with approximately 13 stressed cells and stored at 8°C, and to contaminations observed in naturally contaminated batches of smoked salmon processed by 10 manufacturers and stored for 10 days a 4°C and then for 20 days at 8°C. The variability of simulated contaminations was close to that observed for artificially and naturally contaminated foods leading to simulated statistical distributions properly describing the observed distributions. This model seems relevant to take into consideration the natural variability of processes governing the microbial behaviour in foods and is an effective approach to assess, for instance, the probability to exceed a critical threshold during the storage of foods like the limit of 100 CFU/g in the case of L. monocytogenes.

The bovine dilated cardiomyopathy locus maps to a 1.0-Mb interval on chromosome 18.

Cardiomyopathies are myocardial diseases that lead to cardiac dysfunction, heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden death. In human medicine, cardiomyopathies frequently warrant heart transplantation in children and adults. Bovine dilated cardiomyopathy (BDCMP) is a heart muscle disorder that has been observed during the last 30 years in cattle of Holstein-Friesian origin. In Switzerland BDCMP affects Swiss Fleckvieh and Red Holstein breeds. BDCMP is characterized by a cardiac enlargement with ventricular remodeling and chamber dilatation. The common symptoms in affected animals are subacute subcutaneous edema, congestion of the jugular veins, and tachycardia with gallop rhythm. A cardiomegaly with dilatation and hypertrophy of all heart chambers, myocardial degeneration, and fibrosis are typical postmortem findings. It was shown that all BDCMP cases reported worldwide traced back to a red factor-carrying Holstein-Friesian bull, ABC Reflection Sovereign. An autosomal recessive mode of inheritance was proposed for BDCMP. Recently, the disease locus was mapped to a 6.7-Mb interval MSBDCMP06-BMS2785 on bovine Chr 18 (BTA18). In the present study the BDCMP locus was fine mapped by using a combined strategy of homozygosity mapping and association study. A BAC contig of 2.9 Mb encompassing the crucial interval was constructed to establish the correct marker order on BTA18. We show that the disease locus is located in a gene-rich interval of 1.0 Mb and is flanked by the microsatellite markers DIK3006 and MSBDCMP51.