Impact of left atrial appendage flow velocity on thrombus resolution and clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and silent left atrial thrombi: insights from the LAT study.

AIMS: Blood stasis is crucial in developing left atrial (LA) thrombi. LA appendage peak flow velocity (LAAFV) is a quantitative parameter for estimating thromboembolic risk. However, its impact on LA thrombus resolution and clinical outcomes remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The LAT study was a multicentre observational study investigating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and silent LA thrombi detected by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Among 17 436 TEE procedures for patients with AF, 297 patients (1.7%) had silent LA thrombi. Excluding patients without follow-up examinations, we enrolled 169 whose baseline LAAFV was available. Oral anticoagulation use increased from 85.7% at baseline to 97.0% at the final follow-up (P < 0.001). During 1 year, LA thrombus resolution was confirmed in 130 (76.9%) patients within 76 (34-138) days. Conversely, 26 had residual LA thrombi, 8 had thromboembolisms, and 5 required surgical removal. These patients with failed thrombus resolution had lower baseline LAAFV than those with successful resolution (18.0 [15.8-22.0] vs. 22.2 [17.0-35.0], P = 0.003). Despite limited predictive power (area under the curve, 0.659; P = 0.001), LAAFV ≤ 20.0 cm/s (best cut-off) significantly predicted failed LA thrombus resolution, even after adjusting for potential confounders (odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-6.09; P = 0.015). The incidence of adverse outcomes including ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding, or all-cause death was significantly higher in patients with reduced LAAFV than in those with preserved LAAFV (28.4% vs. 11.6%, log-rank P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Failed LA thrombus resolution was not rare in patients with AF and silent LA thrombi. Reduced LAAFV was associated with failed LA thrombus resolution and adverse clinical outcomes.

Direct oral anticoagulant-associated bleeding complications in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have become widely used for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, DOAC-associated bleeding complications remain challenging, especially in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. This study aimed to compare the bleeding outcomes between patients with upper or lower GI cancers and those without GI cancer. METHODS: Using the COMMAND VTE Registry-2 database, which is a multicenter registry enrolling 5197 consecutive acute symptomatic VTE patients among 31 centers in Japan between January 2015 and August 2020, we identified 1149 active cancer patients with DOACs (upper GI cancer: N = 88; lower GI cancer: N = 114; non-GI cancer: N = 947). The primary outcome was major bleeding during anticoagulation therapy, which was evaluated in the competing risk regression model. RESULTS: The upper GI cancer group had a lower mean body weight, and most often had anemia. The cumulative 5-year incidence of major bleeding was higher in the upper GI cancer group (upper GI cancer: 22.4 %, lower GI cancer: 15.4 %, and non-GI cancer: 11.6 %, P = 0.015). The most frequent major bleeding site in the upper GI cancer group was the upper GI (53 %), followed by the lower GI (24 %). After adjusting for the confounders, the excess risk in upper GI cancer relative to non-GI cancer remained significant for major bleeding (adjusted subhazard ratio, 2.25; 95 %CI, 1.31-3.87, P = 0.003), but that in lower GI cancer was insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Upper GI cancer, but not lower GI cancer, as compared to non-GI cancer was associated with a higher risk for major bleeding during anticoagulation therapy with DOACs. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm Unique identifier: UMIN000044816.

The Prognostic Impact of Follow-up Cardiac MIBG Imaging on LV trajectory After Acute Decompensation.

AIMS: Cardiac metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging provides prognostic information in patients with heart failure. Recently, the trajectory of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has been a focus in patients with reduced LVEF admitted for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). We sought to investigate the prognostic value of follow-up cardiac MIBG imaging in ADHF patients with reduced LVEF in relation to LVEF trajectory. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively studied 145 ADHF patients with reduced LVEF<40%. The cardiac MIBG heart-to-mediastinum ratio (late HMR) was measured on the delayed image at discharge and at the 6-month follow-up (6FUP). At 6 months after discharge, 54 (37%) patients had complete recovery of LVEF≥50% (HFcorEF), and 43 (30%) patients had partial recovery of LVEF: 40%-50% (HFparEF), while the remaining 48 (33%) patients had no functional recovery of LVEF (HFnorEF). The late HMR at 6 FUP in HFcorEF patients was significantly greater than that in HFparEF and HFnorEF patients. During a follow-up period of 4.3 ± 2.6 years, 43 patients had cardiac events, defined as the composite of readmission for worsening HF and cardiac death. Patients with lower late HMR at 6 FUP had a greater risk of cardiac events than those with higher late HMR at 6 FUP in the group with recovered LVEF, especially HFparEF, which was not observed in the HFnorEF subgroup. CONCLUSION: Follow-up MIBG imaging after discharge could provide additional prognostic information in ADHF patients with recovered left ventricular function.

Duration of atrial fibrillation persistence: implications for recurrence risk after catheter ablation and efficacy of additional substrate ablation.

BACKGROUND: The optimal duration of atrial fibrillation (AF) persistence for predicting poor outcomes after catheter ablation of long-standing AF (LsAF) and the best ablation strategy for these patients remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the impact of the duration of AF persistence on outcomes after catheter ablation of AF. METHODS: We analyzed the Efficacy of Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (EARNEST-PVI) trial data comparing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone (PVI-alone) with additional linear ablation or defragmentation (PVI-plus) in persistent AF (PerAF). Patients who received catheter ablation by contact force-sensing catheter were enrolled in the study. In patients with LsAF, the optimal cutoff duration of AF persistence was evaluated. With use of the threshold, patients with LsAF were divided into 2 groups and compared with PerAF <1 year for arrhythmia-free survival after a 3-month blanking period. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff duration was 2.4 years. Of 458 patients, arrhythmia-free survival rates for LsAF 1-2.4 years were comparable to those of PerAF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% CI, 0.67-1.52). However, LsAF >2.4 years had a higher recurrence risk than PerAF (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.42-3.47). In LsAF >2.4 years, the PVI-plus strategy showed advantages over the PVI-alone strategy (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14-0.89). However, the interaction effect between LsAF 1-2.4 years and LsAF >2.4 years did not reach statistical significance (P = .116). CONCLUSION: Whereas LsAF 1-2.4 years has similar outcomes to those of PerAF, LsAF >2.4 years was linked to higher arrhythmia recurrence risks. For LsAF >2.4 years, the PVI-plus strategy showed a potential to be superior to the PVI-alone strategy.

Uplift modeling to identify patients who require extensive catheter ablation procedures among patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

Identifying patients who would benefit from extensive catheter ablation along with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) among those with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) has been a subject of controversy. The objective of this study was to apply uplift modeling, a machine learning method for analyzing individual causal effect, to identify such patients in the EARNEST-PVI trial, a randomized trial in patients with persistent AF. We developed 16 uplift models using different machine learning algorithms, and determined that the best performing model was adaptive boosting using Qini coefficients. The optimal uplift score threshold was 0.0124. Among patients with an uplift score ≥ 0.0124, those who underwent extensive catheter ablation (PVI-plus) showed a significantly lower recurrence rate of AF compared to those who received only PVI (PVI-alone) (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.19-0.84; P-value = 0.015). In contrast, among patients with an uplift score < 0.0124, recurrence of AF did not significantly differ between PVI-plus and PVI-alone (HR 1.17; 95% CI 0.57-2.39; P-value = 0.661). By employing uplift modeling, we could effectively identify a subset of patients with persistent AF who would benefit from PVI-plus. This model could be valuable in stratifying patients with persistent AF who need extensive catheter ablation before the procedure.

Comparison of the specimen quality of endobronchial ultrasound-guided intranodal forceps biopsy using standard-sized forceps versus mini forceps for lung cancer: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a diagnostic procedure with adequate performance; however, its ability to provide specimens of sufficient quality and quantity for treatment decision-making in advanced-stage lung cancer may be limited, primarily due to blood contamination. The use of a 0.96-mm miniforceps biopsy (MFB) permits true histological sampling, but the resulting small specimens are unsuitable for the intended applications. Therefore, we introduced a 1.9-mm standard-sized forceps biopsy (SFB) and compared its utility to that of MFB. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients from three institutions who presented with hilar/mediastinal lymphadenopathy and suspected advanced-stage lung cancer, or those who were already diagnosed but required additional tissue specimens for biomarker analysis. Each patient underwent MFB followed by SFB three or four times through the tract created by TBNA using a 22-gauge needle on the same lymph node (LN). Two pathologists assessed the quality and size of each specimen using a virtual slide system, and diagnostic performance was compared between the MFB and SFB groups. RESULTS: Among the 60 enrolled patients, 70.0% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. The most frequently targeted sites were the lower paratracheal LNs, followed by the interlobar LNs. The diagnostic yields of TBNA, MFB and SFB were 91.7%, 93.3% and 96.7%, respectively. The sampling rate of high-quality specimens was significantly higher in the SFB group. Moreover, the mean specimen size for SFB was three times larger than for MFB. CONCLUSION: SFB is useful for obtaining sufficient qualitative and quantitative specimens.

A Rare Case of a Common Inferior Pulmonary Vein Presumed to Be a Remnant of the Common Pulmonary Vein.

A 74-year-old woman with an implanted physiological DDD pacemaker visited our department complaining of palpitations due to atrial fibrillation (AF). Catheter ablation therapy for AF was scheduled. Preoperative multidetector computed tomography showed that the inferior pulmonary vein (PV) was a common trunk, and the left and right superior PVs branched from the center of the left atrial roof. In addition, mapping of the left atrium before AF ablation revealed no potential in either the inferior PV or common trunk. We performed left and right superior PV and posterior wall isolation. After ablation, AF was not observed on pacemaker recordings.

The clinical relevance of mild cognitive impairment in acute heart failure: A comparison with cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has received much attention as a precursor of dementia, its prognostic role has not been fully clarified in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 274 patients admitted for acute decompensated HF. Cognitive function was evaluated using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). According to the previous definition, MMSE of 0-23, 24-27, and 28-30 were classified as CI (n = 132), MCI (n = 81), and normal cognitive function (n = 61). The primary endpoint was cardiac events, defined as the composite of unplanned HF hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality. During a mean follow-up period of 4.9 ±â€¯3.1 years, 145 patients experienced cardiac events. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension (p = 0.043), low cardiac index (p = 0.022), and low serum albumin level (p = 0.041) had a significant association with cognitive abnormalities. Both CI and MCI were significantly associated with cardiac events after Cox multivariable adjustment [CI: p = 0.001, adjusted HR 2.66 (1.48-4.77); MCI: p = 0.025, adjusted HR 1.90 (1.09-3.31), normal cognitive function group: reference]. Patients with MCI had a significantly higher risk of unplanned HF hospitalization [p = 0.033, adjusted HR 1.91 (1.05-3.47)], but not all-cause mortality (p = 0.533) or cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.920), while CI was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p = 0.025) and cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Even MCI had a significant risk of cardiac events in patients with acute decompensated HF. This risk was mainly derived from unplanned HF hospitalization.

Changing Trends in Mechanical Circulatory Support Use and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions for Acute Coronary Syndrome Complicated With Cardiogenic Shock: Insights From a Nationwide Registry in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Temporal trends in the management of acute coronary syndrome complicated with cardiogenic shock after the revision of guideline recommendations for intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use and the approval of the Impella require further investigation, because their impact remains uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the Japanese Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (J-PCI) registry database from 2019 to 2021, we identified 12 171 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome complicated with cardiogenic shock under mechanical circulatory support. The patients were stratified into 3 groups: (1) IABP alone, (2) Impella, and (3) venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO); the VA-ECMO group was further stratified into (3a) VA-ECMO alone, (3b) VA-ECMO in combination with IABP, and (3c) VA-ECMO in combination with Impella. The quarterly prevalence and outcomes were reported. The use of IABP alone decreased significantly from 63.5% in the first quarter of 2019 to 58.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021 (P for trend=0.01). Among 4245 patients requiring VA-ECMO, the use of VA-ECMO in combination with IABP decreased significantly from 78.7% to 67.3%, whereas the use of VA-ECMO in combination with Impella increased significantly from 4.2% to 17.0% (P for trend <0.001 for both). After adjusting for the confounders, the risk difference in the fourth quarter of 2021 relative to the first quarter of 2019 for in-hospital mortality was not significant (adjusted odds ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.69-1.01]). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed substantial changes in the use of different mechanical circulatory support modalities in acute coronary syndrome complicated with cardiogenic shock, but they did not significantly improve the outcomes.

Human leukocyte antigen-DQ risk heterodimeric haplotypes of left ventricular dysfunction in cardiac sarcoidosis: an autoimmune view of its role.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is the scarring of heart muscles by autoimmunity, leading to heart abnormalities and patients with sarcoidosis with cardiac involvements have poor prognoses. Due to the small number of patients, it is difficult to stratify all patients of CS by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) analysis. We focused on the structure of antigen-recognizing pockets in heterodimeric HLA-class II, in addition to DNA sequences, and extracted high-affinity combinations of antigenic epitopes from candidate autoantigen proteins and HLA. Four HLA heterodimer-haplotypes (DQA1*05:03/05:05/05:06/05:08-DQB1*03:01) were identified in 10 of 68 cases. Nine of the 10 patients had low left ventricular ejection fraction (< 50%). Fourteen amino-acid sequences constituting four HLA anchor pockets encoded by the HLA haplotypes were all common, suggesting DQA1*05:0X-DQB1*03:01 exhibit one group of heterodimeric haplotypes. The heterodimeric haplotypes recognized eight epitopes from different proteins. Assuming that autoimmune mechanisms might be activated by molecular mimicry, we searched for bacterial species having peptide sequences homologous to the eight epitopes. Within the peptide epitopes form the SLC25A4 and DSG2, high-homology sequences were found in Cutibacterium acnes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, respectively. In this study, we detected the risk heterodimeric haplotypes of ventricular dysfunction in CS by searching for high-affinity HLA-class II and antigenic epitopes from candidate cardiac proteins.

A Case of Successful Removal of a Foreign Body Located in the Peripheral Airway Using Flexible Bronchoscopy with Virtual Bronchoscopy Navigation.

A case in which a foreign body located in the peripheral airway of the lung was removed by flexible bronchoscopy using a virtual bronchoscopy navigation (VBN) system has been reported. The patient was a 60-year-old man. Chest radiography revealed an incidental foreign body in the left lower lung. Chest computed tomography with 1.0-mm slices was used to create a VBN system and confirm the foreign body in left B9biiαy, which was removed by flexible bronchoscopy. Thus, peripheral foreign bodies can be safely removed using flexible bronchoscopy by creating a VBN system in advance.

RBM17 Expression Is Associated With the Efficacy of ICI Monotherapy in NSCLC With Low PD-L1 Expression.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are currently a standard treatment tool for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RNA-binding motif protein 17 (RBM17), a splicing factor, is frequently over-expressed in NSCLC, but little is known about the role of RBM17 in the efficacy of ICIs for NSCLC. Thus, we investigated the correlation between RBM17 expression and ICI efficacy in NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Biopsy or surgical specimens were collected from patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC who received ICI monotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy in a first-line setting. RBM17 expression was examined using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between the efficacy of ICI monotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy and RBM17 expression was evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 218 cases, 115 (52.8%) cases were positive for RBM17 expression. RBM17 expression was not associated with the objective response rate (ORR) or progression-free survival (PFS) in either of the ICI monotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy groups. However, among those with a low PD-L1 expression level (PD-L1 <50%; n=86), RBM17 expression was significantly associated with a better ORR (p=0.045) and a better PFS (p<0.001) in the ICI monotherapy group, and was significantly associated with a poor ORR in the chemo-immunotherapy group (p=0.041). CONCLUSION: RBM17 might be a useful predictive marker for a higher efficacy of ICI monotherapy in NSCLC patients with a low PD-L1 expression level.

Asymmetrically Functionalized Electron-Deficient π-Conjugated System for Printed Single-Crystalline Organic Electronics.

Large-area single-crystalline thin films of n-type organic semiconductors (OSCs) fabricated via solution-processed techniques are urgently demanded for high-end electronics. However, the lack of molecular designs that concomitantly offer excellent charge-carrier transport, solution-processability, and chemical/thermal robustness for n-type OSCs limits the understanding of fundamental charge-transport properties and impedes the realization of large-area electronics. The benzo[de]isoquinolino[1,8-gh]quinolinetetracarboxylic diimide (BQQDI) π-electron system with phenethyl substituents (PhC2 -BQQDI) demonstrates high electron mobility and robustness but its strong aggregation results in unsatisfactory solubility and solution-processability. In this work, an asymmetric molecular design approach is reported that harnesses the favorable charge transport of PhC2 -BQQDI, while introducing alkyl chains to improve the solubility and solution-processability. An effective synthetic strategy is developed to obtain the target asymmetric BQQDI (PhC2 -BQQDI-Cn ). Interestingly, linear alkyl chains of PhC2 -BQQDI-Cn (n = 5-7) exhibit an unusual molecular mimicry geometry with a gauche conformation and resilience to dynamic disorders. Asymmetric PhC2 -BQQDI-C5 demonstrates excellent electron mobility and centimeter-scale continuous single-crystalline thin films, which are two orders of magnitude larger than that of PhC2 -BQQDI, allowing for the investigation of electron transport anisotropy and applicable electronics.

Efficacy of azilsartan on left ventricular diastolic dysfunction compared with candesartan: J-TASTE randomized controlled trial.

Characterized by ventricular and vascular stiffness, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has led to high morbidity and mortality. As azilsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker with the highest myocardial and vascular affinities, azilsartan may improve the left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with hypertension and either HFpEF or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) more than candesartan. In this randomized, open-label trial, we randomly assigned 193 hypertensive patients with HF and LV ejection fraction ≥ 45% to 20 mg of azilsartan (n = 95) or 8 mg of candesartan (n = 98), once daily for 48 weeks. After the initiation of treatment, changes in the doses of the study drugs were permitted based on the patient's conditions, including blood pressure (median dose at 48 weeks: azilsartan 20.0 mg/day, candesartan 8.0 mg/day). The primary endpoint was the baseline-adjusted change in the ratio of peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e') (E/e'). Adjusted least-squares mean (LSM) change in E/e' was - 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 1.49 to - 0.04) in the azilsartan group and 0.2 (95% CI - 0.49 to 0.94) in the candesartan group, providing the LSM differences of - 1.0 (95% CI - 2.01 to 0.03, P = 0.057). The median change in left atrial volume index was - 2.7 mL/m2 with azilsartan vs 1.4 mL/m2 with candesartan (P = 0.091). The frequency of adverse events related to hypotension and hyperkalemia did not differ between the groups. The current study did not provide strong evidence that azilsartan improves LV diastolic dysfunction, and further confirmatory study is required.

Long-Term Impact of Additional Ablation After Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Results From EARNEST-PVI Trial.

Background An optimal strategy for left atrial ablation in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been determined. Methods and Results We conducted an extended follow-up of the multicenter randomized controlled EARNEST-PVI (Efficacy of Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation) trial, which compared 12-month rhythm outcomes in patients with persistent AF between patients randomized to a PVI-alone strategy (n=248) or PVI-plus strategy (n=248; PVI followed by left atrial additional ablation, including linear ablation or ablation targeting areas with complex fractionated electrograms). The present study extended the follow-up period to 3 years after enrollment. Outcomes were compared not only between randomly allocated groups but also between on-treatment groups categorized by actually created ablation lesions. Recurrence rate of AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) was lower in the randomly allocated to PVI-plus group than the PVI-alone group (29.0% versus 37.5%, P=0.036). On-treatment analysis revealed that patients with PVI+linear ablation (n=205) demonstrated a lower AF/AT recurrence rate than those with PVI only (26.3% versus 37.8%, P=0.007). In contrast, patients with PVI+complex fractionated electrograms ablation (n=37) had an AF/AT recurrence rate comparable to that of patients with PVI only (40.5% versus 37.8%, P=0.76). At second ablation in 126 patients with AF/AT recurrence, ATs excluding common atrial flutter were more frequent in patients with PVI+linear ablation than in those with PVI only (32.6% versus 5.7%, P<0.0001). Conclusions Left atrial ablation in addition to PVI was efficacious during 3-year follow-up. Linear ablation was superior to other ablation strategies but may increase iatrogenic ATs. Registration URL: http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index-j.htm; Unique identifier: UMIN000019449.

Clinical significance of KL-6 in immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) functions as a tumor marker, as well as a diagnostic tool for interstitial pneumonia (IP). However, the significance of KL-6 in the immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in patients without IP, is unknown. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study, which included patients with advanced NSCLC who received ICI therapy, analyzed the association between serum KL-6 values and ICI efficacy and the association between serum KL-6 values and ICI-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD) occurrence, focusing primarily on patients without IP. RESULTS: In total, 322 patients had available KL-6 values before ICI therapy. Among 202 patients without IP who received ICI monotherapy, the high-KL-6 group (≥ 500 U/mL) showed significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than the low-KL-6 group (< 500 U/mL) (median: 2.1 vs. 3.6 months, p = 0.048; median: 9.2 vs. 14.5 months, p = 0.035). There was no significant difference in response rate between the KL-6 high and low groups (19% vs. 29%, p = 0.14). In the multivariate analysis, high KL-6 was a significant predictor of poor PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-2.11, p = 0.012) and OS (HR, 1.51; 95% CI 1.07 - 2.13, p = 0.019) for patients treated with ICI monotherapy. There was no significant difference in the occurrence rate of ILD between the high KL-6 and low KL-6 groups in patients with (20% vs. 15%, p = 1.00) or without IP (12% vs. 12%, p = 1.00). CONCLUSION: In ICI monotherapy for NSCLC without IP, elevated serum KL-6 levels were associated with poorer outcomes.

A Case of Cardiac Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma With Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction.

Malignant tumors originating from the heart are extremely rare. Here, we report a case of severe right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenosis in a 67 year-old woman caused by a massive intimal sarcoma that required venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to support systemic circulation. Surgical resection and RVOT reconstruction with tricuspid and pulmonary valve replacement were performed. The pathological diagnosis was cardiac undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Although the patient was discharged 65 days after surgery in good condition, she subsequently died from multiple metastases detected in the early phase after surgery.

Mental health complaints among healthcare workers engaged in the care of COVID-19 patients: A prospective cohort study from Japan.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) can experience physical and mental health burdens. It is imperative that hospitals reduce such burdens on frontline HCWs, protect them, and support their healthcare. This study aimed to investigate the association between occupation and the manifestation of physical or psychological symptoms among HCWs during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A twice-weekly survey using questionnaires targeting HCWs who care for COVID-19 patients was performed at Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital (tertiary hospital). The demographic characteristics of the participants, exposure level, and physical and psychological complaints were evaluated. Results: Seventy-one HCWs participated in this study, of whom 27 (38.0%) were doctors, 25 (35.2%) were nurses, and 19 (26.8%) were technicians. Among the HCWs, the proportions of those who experienced any physical or psychological symptoms were 28.2% and 31.0%, respectively. The frequency of depression and anxiety was obviously higher among the nurses than that among the doctors (both p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that being a nurse (odds ratio 4.90; p = 0.04) and having physical complaints (odds ratio 4.66; p = 0.02) might be independent predictors of the manifestation of psychological symptoms. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the follow-up of HCWs experiencing physical symptoms, especially nurses engaged in the care of COVID-19 patients, may require more careful management to improve the psychological outcomes. We believe that this study is the first step toward establishing a psychological health management strategy for HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients.

Trends in Mechanical Circulatory Support Use and Outcomes of Patients With Cardiogenic Shock in Japan, 2010 to 2020 (from a Nationwide Inpatient Database Study).

Little is known about the impact of the downgrade of guideline recommendations for intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use and the approval of the Impella in Japan, where IABPs have been predominantly used. This study aimed to describe the annual trends in the mechanical circulatory support (MCS) use and outcomes in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) requiring MCS. Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database from July 2010 to March 2021, we identified inpatients with CS requiring MCS. The patients were stratified into 3 groups: (1) IABP alone, (2) Impella alone, and (3) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), regardless of IABP or Impella use. The patient characteristics and outcomes were reported by the fiscal year. Of the 160,559 eligible patients, 117,599 (73.2%) used IABP alone, 1,465 (0.9%) Impella alone, and 41,495 (25.8%) ECMO. The prevalence of the use of an IABP alone significantly decreased from 80.5% in 2010 to 65.3% in 2020 (p for trend <0.001), whereas the prevalence of the use of an Impella alone significantly increased from 0.0% to 5.0% and ECMO from 19.5% to 29.6% (p for trend <0.001 for both). In-hospital mortality significantly increased from 29.3% in 2010 to 32.6% in 2020 in the overall patients with CS requiring MCS but significantly decreased in those requiring ECMO from 73.7% to 64.1% (p for trend <0.001 for both). In conclusion, there were significant annual changes in the patterns of MCS use and clinical outcomes in patients with CS requiring MCS.