Prognostic Value of CXCL12 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Tumor Resection.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is commonly indicated in lung cancer patients undergoing surgical therapy because tumor recurrence is frequent. A biomarker that can predict tumor recurrence in the postoperative period is currently unavailable. CXCR4 receptor and its ligand CXCL12 play important roles in metastasis. This study investigated the value of tumor CXCL12 expression to predict prognosis and indicate adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients. This study enrolled 82 non-small cell lung cancer patients. The expression of CXCL12 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The degree of CXCL12 expression was assessed using the Allred score system. Among all subjects, the progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly prolonged in cancer patients with low tumor expression of CXCL12 compared to patients with high tumor expression. Multivariate analysis showed that the increased level of CXCL12 is a significant predictor of progression-free survival and overall survival in NSCLC patients. Among subjects with high tumor CXCL12 expression, progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly improved in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy compared to untreated patients. These results suggest the potential value of tumor CXCL12 expression as a marker to predict prognosis and to indicate adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical tumor resection in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Thoracoscopic Anatomical Sublobar Resection Including Subsegmentectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Among anatomical sublobar resection techniques for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the clinical benefit of subsegmentectomy remains unclear. We investigated whether anatomical sublobar resection including subsegmentectomy-segmental resection with subsegmental additional resection or subsegmental resection alone-is an effective and feasible surgical procedure for NSCLC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of 285 patients with clinical stage I NSCLC who underwent anatomical sublobar resection at our institution from January 2013 to March 2021 and compared surgical outcomes between patients who underwent anatomical sublobar resection including (IS; n = 50) and excluding (ES; n = 235) subsegmentectomy. RESULTS: No significant intergroup differences were noted in terms of age, sex, smoking, comorbidities, tumor size or location, consolidation tumor ratio, and preoperative pulmonary function. The IS group had more preoperative computed tomography-guided markings (34 vs. 15%; p = .004) and smaller resected lung volumes converted to the total subsegment number [3 (2-4) vs. 3 (3-6); p = .02] than the ES group. No significant differences in margin distance [mm, 20 (15-20) vs. 20 (20-20); p = .93], readmission rate (2% vs. 3%; p > .99), and intraoperative (8% vs. 7%; p = .77) or postoperative (8% vs. 10%; p = .80) complication rates were observed, and the 5-year local recurrence-free survival (91% vs. 90%; p = .92) or postoperative pulmonary function change were comparable between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although further investigations are required, anatomical sublobar resection including subsegmentectomy for clinical stage I NSCLC could be an acceptable therapeutic option.

Disproportionate pulmonary hypertension in a patient with early-onset pulmonary emphysema treated with specific drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Severe pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is referred to as 'disproportionate' because the elevated pulmonary artery pressure does not match the degree of air flow limitation. We report a 41-year-old man presenting with early-onset pulmonary emphysema and pulmonary hypertension with a mean pressure of 74 mmHg. Continuous intravenous epoprostenol led to marked hemodynamic improvement, and epoprostenol was successfully replaced with bosentan. The patient has been followed for 3 years without exacerbation. This is the first report demonstrating the long-term efficacy of specific drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension in disproportionate pulmonary hypertension in COPD.

Isolated ACTH deficiency presenting with severe myocardial dysfunction.

We present a case of isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency complicated by acute adrenal crisis and severe myocardial dysfunction. A 54-year-old woman developed consciousness disturbance, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, and rhabdomyolysis. Initial echocardiographic examinations on the sixth hospital day revealed marked right-sided atrial and ventricular dilatation and severe tricuspid regurgitation. A computed tomography scan for pulmonary embolism was negative. On the 14th hospital day, she became dyspneic and hypotensive. Repeated echocardiographic examinations demonstrated diffuse and severe hypokinesis of the left ventricle. The previous right-sided chamber dilatation became less apparent. Congestive heart failure and severe hypotension were refractory to catecholamines, while she was eventually diagnosed as having acute adrenal crisis due to isolated ACTH deficiency. Hydrocortisone replacement therapy was started, and echocardiographic examinations revealed that the left ventricular dysfunction completely returned to normal in the following eight days. Severe myocardial dysfunction is an uncommon but serious complication of acute adrenal insufficiency. The present case was unique in that diffuse left ventricular dysfunction was preceded by right ventricular dysfunction.

Arteries within the artery of coronary artery in an adult patient with acute coronary syndrome.

A 40-year-old man with acute coronary syndrome underwent coronary angiography, which showed a somewhat irregular contour with radiolucent lines in the left anterior descending artery. Intravascular ultrasound disclosed that the arterial lumen was separated by confining walls, yielding multiple inner lumens. Implantation of drug eluting stents resulted in slow coronary run-off, which was restored soon after intra-aortic balloon pumping support. The multiple inner lumens correspond to the histopathological finding of "arteries within the artery". While "arteries within the artery" is seen exclusively in children with a history of Kawasaki disease, it is rare in adults with undiagnosed Kawasaki disease.

Upper turnover portion of the reentry circuit for typical and reverse typical atrial flutter.

BACKGROUND: The posteromedial right atrium (PMRA) forms a block line during typical atrial flutter (AFL). However, whether upper turnover portion exists at the anterior or posterior superior vena cava (SVC) has not been determined. METHODS: We performed right atrial mapping during AFL in 20 patients (typical AFL, n = 17; reverse typical AFL, n = 3) using an electroanatomical mapping system. RESULTS: Mean AFL cycle length was 224 +/- 20 ms and mean number of mapping points was 140 +/- 27. PMRA formed a block line during both typical and reverse AFL in all patients. However, in 16 of 17 patients mapped with typical AFL, PMRA did not extend superiorly to the orifice of the SVC and AFL wave propagated between the upper limit of the PMRA and the posterior SVC. In the remaining patient mapped with typical AFL, a double potential was recorded along the PMRA continuously between the orifices of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and SVC. In the three patients mapped with reverse typical AFL, a posterior barrier was detected from IVC to the upper limit of the PMRA and AFL wave propagated between the upper limit of the PMRA and the posterior SVC. Mean length from IVC to upper limit of the PMRA was 81 +/- 8% of the length from IVC to SVC. CONCLUSIONS: PMRA forms a functional block line during both typical and reverse typical AFL. The upper turnover portion of reentry circuit for AFL was observed between the upper limit of the PMRA and the posterior SVC in the majority of isthmus-dependent AFL patients.

Endocardial substrate mapping for monomorphic ventricular tachycardia ablation in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

We investigated the differences in the endocardial substrates between ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and non-ICM (NICM) by using electro-anatomical mapping and pace-mapping. We studied 18 patients (ICM and NICM, 9 each) with monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) documented by 12-leads ECG. Low voltage area was defined by signal amplitude <1.5 mV. A pace-map QRS morphology that matched VT in >10 of the 12-leads ECG was regarded as a pace-map match. And conduction delay during pace-mapping was defined as the stimulus to QRS interval >or=40 ms. Low voltage area was 53.8 +/- 21.5 and 20.8 +/- 16.7 cm2 in ICM and NICM patients, respectively (P = 0.002). Pace-mapping was assessed in 6 ICM and 9 NICM. Pace-map match with conduction delay were obtained in all the 6 ICM patients. But in NICM patients, pace-map match with conduction delay was obtained in 3 patients. Pace-map match sites where conduction delay was not observed were obtained in 5 patients. Pace-map match could not be obtained in 1 patient. We attempted ablation in 6 ICM and 7 NICM patients. Subsequently, VT recurrence was not observed in ICM but it was observed in 6 of 7 NICM patients (log-rank P = 0.0016). In NICM patients, the arrhythmogenic substrate that represented the abnormal electrogram and conduction delay was observed less within the endocardial surface when compared with that observed in ICM. VT recurrence rate subsequent to endocardial ablation was higher in NICM than in ICM patients.

Neurogenic stunned myocardium associated with status epileptics and postictal catecholamine surge.

A 75-year-old woman developed left ventricular apical ballooning, shortly after recovering from status epileptics. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels were 2.05 ng/ml and 0.48 ng/ml, respectively. Endomyocardial biopsy disclosed patchy areas of interstitial myocardial fibrosis, atrophy and vacuolization of cardiac myocytes, and some disappearance of myocyte nuclei. Follow-up echocardiography showed that the left ventricular apical ballooning was restored to normal within 25 days. These findings are compatible with neurogenic stunned myocardium. It is important to recognize that patients suffering from intractable seizures may harbor a risk of postictal catecholamine surge and catecholamine-induced myocardial dysfunction.

Correlation of connexin43 expression and late ventricular potentials in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) is a useful clinical tool for detecting late ventricular potentials (LP). Gap junction alterations have recently been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of ventricular arrhythmias in DCM; however, the possible relationship between gap junctional connexin43 (C x 43) expression and SAECG has not yet been evaluated. In the present study 16 patients (47+/-13 years) with DCM who had undergone SAECG testing were evaluated. In each patient, the expression of C x 43 proteins was qualitatively and quantitatively determined using immunoconfocal microscopy and right ventricular biopsy specimens. The level of expression of C x 43 protein was defined as the proportion of tissue area occupied by C x 43 (percent tissue area) in each test area. The abundance and distribution of the C x 43 signal was assessed in relation to LP. Late ventricular potentials were positive in 5 patients (LP (+) group) and negative in 11 patients (LP (-) group). The incidence of sustained ventricular tachycardia in the LP (+) group was higher than that in the LP (-) group (80% vs 18%, p=0.04). The percent tissue area of C x 43 in the LP (+) group was significantly lower than that in the LP (-) group (p=0.02). Furthermore, C x 43 protein in the LP (+) group was distributed more heterogeneously than that in the LP (-) group (p=0.001). The heterogeneous expression of C x 43 protein may contribute to impaired ventricular conduction, which may be related to the LP detected on SAECG.