Surgical versus conservative treatment for acute type A aortic intramural hematoma: A retrospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To compare the outcomes following emergency surgery or conservative treatment for patients with acute type A aortic intramural hematoma (IMH). Methods    Clinical data of consecutive patients diagnosed with acute type A aortic IMH in our hospital from September 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients who met our surgical indications received surgery (an operation group) and other patients received strict conservative treatment (a conservative treatment group). Results    Finally 127 patients were enrolled, including 112 males and 15 females with an average age of 53.6±13.0 years. Of 127 patients, 85 (66.9%) patients accepted emergency surgery and 42 (33.1%) patients accepted strict conservative treatment. There was no difference between the two groups in early mortality or complications (P>0.05). The 5-year survival rate was 90.4% in the operation group and 74.3% in the conservative treatment group (P=0.010). A maximum aortic diameter in the ascending aorta and aortic arch≥45 mm and maximum thickness of IMH in the same section≥8 mm were risk factors for IMH-related death in patients undergoing conservative treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion    The mortality associated with emergency surgery for patients with acute type A aortic IMH is satisfactory. In clinical centers with well-established surgical techniques and postoperative management, emergency surgical treatment may provide a better outcome than conservative treatment for patients with acute type A aortic IMH.

Gene-phenotype correlation analysis of 226 cases of sporadic thoracic aortic diseases in southern China / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To identify the causative genes of sporadic thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection (TAAD) and their correlation with clinical phenotype in the southern Chinese.Methods:We analyzed 11 core genes of TAAD probands without specific family history of 226 cases by next-generation sequencing technology, and performed sanger sequencing for their close relatives. Clinical data of each patient, including age of onset, syndromic phenotypes, involvement of aortic root, aortic maximum diameter and D-dimer were collected. And statistical software SPSS was used to evaluate the correlation between clinical phenotypes and gene mutations.Results:A total of 106 variants were detected in 226 probands with gene-positive frequency of 44.69%, consist of 16 pathogenic (P) variants, 18 likely pathogenic (LP) variants and 71 variants of uncertain significance (VUS). More than half of the mutations were from the non-syndromic TAAD, in which the FBN1 still was the most common causative gene. Earlier age of onset, an increase of women, larger diameter of aorta, Stanford B dissection and severe aortic regurgitation were likely to occur on carriers of P/LP, while thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs on carriers of VUS. Phenotype of both syndrome and dissection with aneurysm could increase the likelihood of carrying gene mutation, but D-dimer and involvement of aortic root couldn’t.Conclusion:Patients with sporadic aortic diseases in southern China have significant genetic heterogeneity and specific correlation between their clinical phenotype and gene mutation, especially in non-syndromic population. Earlier age of onset in carriers of FBN1 or ACTA2 genes, and larger maximum diameters of aorta in carrier of P/LP.

Therapy experience and clinical features of patients with acute type A aortic dissection involving coronary malperfusion / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, surgical methods and prognosis of patients with acute type A aortic dissection combining coronary artery involvement.Methods:415 patients diagnosed with acute type A aortic dissection from October 2016 to September 2019 were included in the study.Among them, 358 were males and 57 were females; aged(51.2±10.7) years old.According to the results of intraoperative coronary probes, 342 patients in the group were without coronary involvement, and the other 73 were with coronary involvement.Data on the coronary involvement classification, site, and treatment methods of the coronary involvement group were collected by consulting the ward medical record system.Meanwhile, preoperative baseline data, surgical data and prognostic results were retrospectively collected between the two groups. The data of the two groups were compared by chi- square test, t-test and Mann- Whitney U test. Results:Coronary involvement group: Among 73 (17.6%, 73/415) patients with coronary involvement, 8 (11.0%) in the left coronary, 48 in the right (65.8%), and 17 (23.3%)cases with involvement of both left and right coronary arteries. Classification of coronary artery(90) involvement: Neri A in 47(52.2%, 47/90), 33 with Neri B (36.7%, 33/90), and 10 with type Neri C (11.1%, 10/90). Type Neri B/C coronary artery involvement was mostly treated with artificial vascular coronary artery replacement or coronary artery bypass grafting. Comparison between the two groups show, patients in the coronary involvement group had higher preoperative levels of CK-MB, D-dimer and more severe aortic valve regurgitation compared to the coronary non-involvement group. The comparison of surgical data suggests that the coronary involvement group had a higher proportion of aortic root treatment, longer operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic clamping time. A higher percentage of intimal tear located in the ascending aorta or aortic root was found in the coronary involvement group. The mortality rate in the coronary involvement group was significantly higher than that of the non-involvement group (12% versus 4%), and it was more likely to combine heart failure (5% versus 1%) and renal failure (26% versus 13%).Conclusion:Compared with pure type A dissection, patients with coronary artery involvement are more common in patients whose primary intimal tear were found at the proximal aorta, and are more prone to severe aortic valve regurgitation. Coronary artery treatment procedures include direct suture and fixation, coronary artery replacement, and coronary artery bypass grafting. Among them, Neri A coronary involvement can mostly be fixed with direct suture and stabilization, while the Neri B / C type mostly requires artificial vascular replacement of the affected coronary artery or coronary artery bypass. Patients with coronary artery involvement have a higher proportion of deaths and confer relatively higher risk of post-operative renal/cardiac failure.

Assessment of supra-arch branches bypass on cerebral oxygen saturation and carotid hemodynamics in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effects of supra-arch branches bypass on cerebral oxygen saturation and hemodynamics in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection.Methods:From January to December 2018, consecutive 27 patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection were enrolled in the study. All patients received hybrid treatment, including supra-arch branches bypass(right axillary artery-left common carotid artery-left subclavian artery) and thoracic endovascular aortic repaire(TEVAR). All the operations were performed by the same surgical team. The left and right cerebral oxygen saturation were measured after anesthesia(T1), left carotid artery occlusion(T2) and after operation(T3); peak systolic velocity(PSV) and resistance index(RI) of left and right carotid arteries were measured before(t1) and after operation(t2).Results:The left cerebral oxygen saturation was 0.62 ±0.01, 0.54±0.01 and 0.62±0.01 at T1, T2 and T3, respectively. There was significant difference between T2 and T1 and T3( P=0.002, P=0.001), but there was no significant difference between T1 and T3. The PSV of left carotid artery at t1 and t2 were(0.91±0.11)m/s and(0.76±0.09)m/s respectively, with no significant difference( P= 0.191). The RI of left carotid artery at t1 and t2 were 0.83±0.06 and 0.93±0.13 respectively, with no significant difference( P= 0.575). Conclusion:If one side of carotid artery was blocked for a short time during supra-arch branches bypass, the cerebral oxygen saturation would be decreased temporarily, but the changes of cerebral oxygen metabolism could be completely restored after operation. However, the hemodynamics of carotid artery would not change significantly. In the hybrid treatment strategy for the patients with aortic dissection Stanford type B, blocking bilateral carotid arteries can be avoided. Making the right axillary artery-left common carotid artery-left subclavian artery shunt is a safe and effective choice.

The effect of flow management of cerebral perfusion during aortic arch surgery on the neurological complication / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of flow management of cerebral perfusion during aortic arch surgery on the neurological complication.Methods From March 2007 to November 2011,189 patients underwent aortic arch surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest plus antegrade cerebral perfusion in our department.The clinical data were analyzed retrospectively.According to the different methods of cerebral perfusion flow nanagement,patients were divided into two groups.Single pump with double limb (to the lower body and brain) perfusion was used in group A (96 patients),based on natural distribution of petfusion flow without control.Modified flow management was used in group B (93 patients).A magnetic flow sensor probes was installed on the brain perfusion limb to monitor and control the cerebral perfusion flow precisely (10 ml · kg-1 · min-1).Postoperative neurological complications were compared between two groups.Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in CPB time,aortic clamping time and circulatory arreating time.However,the morbidity of postoperative neurological complications in group B was much lower than that in group A (1.1％ vs 5.2％,P ＜0.05).Conclusion When performing antegrade cerebral perfusion during aortic arch surgery,precisely control of cerebral perfusion flow can reduce the morbidity of postoperative neurological complications effectively.

Combined treatment with chemokine receptor 5 blocker and cyclosporine induces prolonged graft survival in a mouse model of cardiac transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Inhibition of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), a chemokine receptor expressed on activated T cells, is efficacious in modulating inflammation and immunity as well as in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. This study examined the effect and mechanism of CCR5 blockade in combination with cyclosporine in prolonging cardiac allograft survival in mice. METHODS: Hearts from BALB/c mice were transplanted into C57BL/10 recipients. They were administrated with anti-CCR5 antibody (Ab) or control Ab and cyclosporine or phosphate-buffered (PBS) saline, respectively. To investigate the role of regulatory cells, naïve mice (secondary recipients) underwent adoptive transfer of splenocytes from anti-CCR5 Ab plus cyclosporine-treated recipients and cardiac allograft transplantation. RESULTS: Compared with recipients treated with control Ab plus PBS, allografts treated with anti-CCR5 Ab and cyclosporine showed significantly prolonged survival (p < 0.001), markedly decreased CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (p < 0.005), and increased frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory cells (23.98% +/- 1.55% vs 6.30% +/- 0.57%, p < 0.005). Adoptive transfer of CD4+CD25+ splenocytes from anti-CCR5 Ab plus cyclosporine-treated recipients induced significantly prolonged survival in secondary recipients (p < 0.01 vs adoptive transfer from naïve mice and recipients depleted of CD25+ cells). CONCLUSIONS: CCR5 blockade combined with cyclosporine is effective in protecting the cardiac allograft in a robust murine model. This effect is partly mediated by regulatory cell recruitment and control of effector cell infiltration.

Hybrid procedure for thoracic aortic disease / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Form 2008 to 2009, four patients with complex thoracic aortic disease, including aortic aneurysms and dissections, were successfully treated in our department with a new treatment approach: hybrid procedure. Combined open surgery and endovascular repair were performed in these patients without deep hypothermia or circulatory arrest. Compared to those who underwent traditional open surgery in the same period, time of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay was decreased in these four patients. All of them were discharged soon after operation without postoperative complications or death. The result suggests that this new approach could be an option for thoracic aortic disease, but long-term and large-population studies are still required to demonstrate the safety and validity.

Surgical treatment of aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection: a retrospective analysis of 122 cases / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The study summarizes the clinical experience of surgical treatments of various types of thoracic aneurysm and aortic dissection. Clinical data of 122 patients with thoracic aneurysm and aortic dissection during July 2005 to July 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. The elective operations were performed in 107 patients while emergency surgery was done in 15 cases. Different surgical strategies were employed on the basis of diseased region, including simple ascending aortic replacement (n=3), aortic root replacement (n=43), hemi-arch replacement /total arch replacement+elephant trunk technique (n=32), thoracic/thoracoabdominal aortic replacement (n=8) and endovascular repair (n=36). In this series, there is 4 cases of perioperative death due to massive cerebral hemorrhage (n=1), respiratory failure (n=1) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (n=2). Three cases developed post-operative massive cerebral infarction and the relatives of the patients abandoned treatment. Instant success rate of endovascular repair was 100%. The intimal rupture was sealed. Blood flow was unobstructed in true lumen and no false lumen was visualized. It was concluded that aggressive surgery should be considered in the patients with thoracic aneurysm and aortic dissection. Surgical procedures should vary with the location and the nature of the lesions.

Impact of NF-kappaB Activation on TNF-α and IL-1β Expression in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury / 华中科技大学学报(医学版)

Objective To study the impact of NF-kappaB activation on TNF-a and IL-1β expression in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury.Methods Sixty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:sham,n=5;I/R:30 min of myocardial ischemia followed by 0,15,30,60,120.240 min of reperfusion,n=5 per subgroup;I/R+PDTC:PDTC(15 mg/kg)was given before ischemia,and the time points were the same as those in I/R group.TNF-a and IL-1β mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR,activity of NF-KB was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA),and MDA level in myocardium was assayed by TBA method.Results The expression of TNF-a and IL-1β was increased before reperfusion,reached their peak at the time point of reperfusion 30.60 min respectively.and remained high level at the 2nd h after reperfusion.NF-KB was activated 15 min after reperfusion,reached its peak at the first h after reperfusion.In I/R+PDTC group,NF-κB activation was blocked by PDTC.As compared with I/R group,the expression levels of TNF-a and IL-1β were decreased to varying degrees at each time point.and the content of MDA was also reduced in I/R+PDTC group.Conclusion NF-KB activation could play a pivotabrole in the expression of cytokine.Inhibition of NF-κB signal pathway might be a potential therapeutic strategy in reperfusion injury.

Comparison of anticoagulant effects on vein grafts between human TFPI gene transfection and aspirin oral administration / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

To develop a more efficient antithrombotic way after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the anticoagulant effects were compared of human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) gene transfection and aspirin oral administration (traditional method) on vein grafts. An eukaryotic expression plasmid pCMV-(Kozak) TFPI was prepared. Animal model of carotid artery bypass grafting was constructed. In operation, endothelial cells of vein grafts in TFPI group and empty plasmid control group were transfected with pCMV-(Kozak) TFPI and empty plasmid pCMV respectively, while no transfection was conducted in aspirin control group. After operation, aspirin (2 mg.kg(-1).(-1)) was administered (i.g.) in aspirin control group. Three days later, grafts (n=10) were harvested for RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses of exogenous gene expression and for pathological, scanning electron microscopic observation of thrombus. Thirty days later, the patency rates of remnant grafts (n=10) were recorded by vessel Doppler ultrasonography. Human TFPI gene products were detected in gene transferred vein grafts. Three days later, thrombi were found in 7 animals of aspirin control group and in 8 animals of empty plasmid control group, but in only 1 of TFPI group (P<0.01). Thirty days later, 5 grafts were occluded in empty plasmid control group, but none of grafts was occluded in the other groups (P<0.05). The endothelial surfaces of grafts in both of the control groups were covered with aggregated erythrocytes and platelets, and it were not seen in TFPI group. It was suggested that the anticoagulant effects on vein grafts of human TFPI gene transfection are better than those of aspirin.