Invasive coronary imaging of inflammation to further characterize high-risk lesions: what options do we have?

Coronary atherosclerosis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The underlying pathophysiology includes a complex interplay of endothelial dysfunction, lipid accumulation and inflammatory pathways. Multiple structural and inflammatory features of the atherosclerotic lesions have become targets to identify high-risk lesions. Various intracoronary imaging devices have been developed to assess the morphological, biocompositional and molecular profile of the intracoronary atheromata. These techniques guide interventional and therapeutical management and allow the identification and stratification of atherosclerotic lesions. We sought to provide an overview of the inflammatory pathobiology of atherosclerosis, distinct high-risk plaque features and the ability to visualize this process with contemporary intracoronary imaging techniques.

Near-infrared spectroscopy predicts events in men and women: Results from the Lipid Rich Plaque study.

Background: The Lipid Rich Plaque (LRP) study demonstrated that near-infrared spectroscopy imaging of non-obstructive lesions identified patients and segments at higher risk for subsequent non-culprit major adverse cardiac events (NC-MACE). Whether this is true for both men and women is not known. In this post hoc analysis of the LRP study, we sought to investigate whether the maximum 4-mm Lipid Core Burden Index (maxLCBI4mm) was of similar predictive value in men and women for NC-MACE. Methods: Patients with an evaluable maxLCBI4mm were stratified on the basis of sex at birth. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to assess the predictive value of maxLCBI4mm on future NC-MACE at the patient and plaque levels. The primary endpoint was cumulative incidence of NC-MACE at 24 months. Results: Among 1271 patients, 388 (30.5%) were women. Women were older and had a higher cardiovascular risk profile. Cumulative incidence of NC-MACE at 24 months was 10.3% for women and 7.6% for men (log-rank p = 0.11). When comparing maxLCBI4mm > 400 to maxLCBI4mm ≤ 400, the hazard ratio (HR) for future NC-MACE was not significantly different between sexes: 2.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-3.44; p = 0.003) for men and 2.24 (95% CI: 1.18-4.28; p = 0.014) for women (p = 0.87). At the plaque level, the HR comparing maxLCBI4mm > 400 to maxLCBI4mm ≤ 400 was 3.49 (95% CI: 1.60-7.60, p = 0.002) for men and 4.79 (95% CI: 2.02-11.38, p < 0.001) for women, which was not significantly different (p = 0.57). Conclusions: The maxLCBI4mm was of similar predictive value for NC-MACE within 24 months in men and women.

Rationale and design of the PRAETORIAN-COVID trial: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial with valsartan for PRevention of Acute rEspiraTORy dIstress syndrome in hospitAlized patieNts with SARS-COV-2 Infection Disease.

There is much debate on the use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients. Although it has been suggested that ARBs might lead to a higher susceptibility and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, experimental data suggest that ARBs may reduce acute lung injury via blocking angiotensin-II-mediated pulmonary permeability, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, despite these hypotheses, specific studies on ARBs in SARS-CoV-2 patients are lacking. METHODS: The PRAETORIAN-COVID trial is a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled 1:1 randomized clinical trial in adult hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients (n = 651). The primary aim is to investigate the effect of the ARB valsartan compared to placebo on the composite end point of admission to an intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or death within 14 days of randomization. The active-treatment arm will receive valsartan in a dosage titrated to blood pressure up to a maximum of 160 mg bid, and the placebo arm will receive matching placebo. Treatment duration will be 14 days, or until the occurrence of the primary end point or until hospital discharge, if either of these occurs within 14 days. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04335786, 2020). SUMMARY: The PRAETORIAN-COVID trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled 1:1 randomized trial to assess the effect of valsartan compared to placebo on the occurrence of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. The results of this study might impact the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 patients globally.

The Modified painDETECT Questionnaire for Patients with Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis: Translation into Dutch, Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Reliability Assessment.

There is a growing amount of evidence that alteration in pain processing by the peripheral and central nervous system play a role in osteoarthritis pain, leading to neuropathic-like symptoms. It is essential to identify knee and hip osteoarthritis patients with a neuropathic pain profile in order to offer such patients education and additional treatment options besides conventional pain treatment. The painDETECT Questionnaire is a self-report questionnaire developed to discriminate between nociceptive and neuropathic pain. This questionnaire was modified to fit patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the modified painDETECT Questionnaire to the Dutch language and to provide a modified version to fit patients with hip osteoarthritis. Reliability for internal consistency, repeatability and floor and ceiling effects were subsequently assessed. A total of 278 patients were included in the reliability study and 123 patients in the repeatability analysis. The Dutch modified painDETECT Questionnaire shows good internal consistency and small relative measurement errors, represented by a good intraclass correlation coefficient. Absolute measurement error, represented by the Standard Error of Measurement, was acceptable. However, a measurement bias might be present when it comes to repeatability. To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide a Dutch modified painDETECT Questionnaire to fit hip and knee osteoarthritis patients and to assess internal consistency, reliability and agreement. International guidelines were followed in the translation process and this study has ample sample size with an adequate time interval for repeatability. Based on this study, the Dutch modified painDETECT Questionnaire seems to be fit as a discriminative tool to identify knee and hip osteoarthritis patients with a neuropathic pain profile. Whether it is also suitable as an evaluative tool to record changes over time or after an intervention remains open to further investigation.