Clinical Features of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Japan　- A Case Series Study.

BACKGROUND: Suspicion that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused venous thromboembolism (VTE).Methods and Results:We conducted a case series study of 5 VTE patients with COVID-19 in Japan. The median body mass index was 27.7 kg/m2, and all patients required mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. Patients were diagnosed as VTE in the intensive care unit (ICU), general ward, and outpatient ward. CONCLUSIONS: The current case series study revealed some clinical features of VTE patients with COVID-19 in Japan, including obese patients and those requiring mechanical ventilation during hospitalization, who should be followed closely for VTE, even after leaving the ICU.

[Mitral Valve Repair via Right Thoracotomy Thirty-seven Years after Right Pneumonectomy:Report of a Case].

A 57-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to dyspnea on exertion with severe mitral regurgitation. Because he had underdone right pneumonectomy 37 years earlier due to congenital defect of the right pulmonary artery, his mediastinum was severely shifted to the right, and his pulmonary function was poor. Mitral valve repair was successfully performed with right thoracotomy approach, which made excellent exposure of the mitral valve. The patient was extubated three hours after the surgery. He was discharged on the 30th postoperative day without postoperative respiratory complications. With an appropriate plan of the surgery and postoperative optimal management, cardiac surgery can be performed on patients with a single lung.

[Surgical Experience of Papillary Fibroelastoma Revealed by Cerebral Infarction].

Primary cardiac tumors are relatively rare. Among them, papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is the 2nd most common benign cardiac tumor after myxoma. However, despite its benign status, PFE may trigger fatal embolic events in some cases. Therefore, once PFE is diagnosed, immediate surgical resection of the tumor is recommended. We report our experience of 3 patients with cerebral infarction that were diagnosed as having PFE. All cases were complicated with cerebral infarction probably originating from a tumor embolus or thrombus. For that reason, after the tumor had been detected, urgent surgical resection of the tumor was considered to be necessary. Given the generally good postoperative outcomes, simple resection of the tumor while preserving valve function is considered sufficient to achieve a favorable outcome.

[Infective endocarditis complicated by ruptured mycotic cerebral aneurysm that necessitated open heart surgery after craniotomy;report of a case].

The patient was a 45-year-old female, who was emergently hospitalized with presyncope. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed an infarct in the left middle cerebral artery area. Echocardiography revealed mobile vegetations on the mitral valve and aortic valve, and the patient was diagnosed as having infective endocarditis. She was treated conservatively by appropriate antibiotic therapy. Four days after hospitalization, the patient developed brain hemorrhage due to ruptured mycotic cerebral aneurysm, and craniotomy for removal of the hematoma and brain aneurysm clipping were performed on the same day. As 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) obtained 2 weeks after the surgery suggested the existence of other brain aneurysms, it was determined that continued conservative management of the infection might not be feasible, and mitral valve and aortic valve replacements were performed 3 weeks after the craniotomy. The postoperative clinical course was satisfactory, without the complications of bleeding, aggravation of the cranial nerve disorders or recurrence of the infection. Ruptured mycotic cerebral aneurysms are usually associated with a poor prognosis. There are no specific guidelines for the treatment of infective endocarditis with brain complications like in this case, and it is important to select therapies tailored to individual cases.

Branch segment occlusion with acute myocardial infarction is a risk for left ventricular free wall rupture.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) whose culprit lesion lies in a branch of the 3 major coronary arteries have well-preserved cardiac function. A first MI with preserved cardiac function is a risk factor for left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR), so the aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between AMI with branch segment occlusion and LVFWR. METHODS AND RESULTS: The 439 patients with AMI were retrospectively studied. They were divided into 2 groups: group B (n=70; segments 4 atrioventricular node artery, 4 posterior descending coronary artery, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, or 15 according to the AHA classification), and group P (n=369; segments 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, or 13). Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was more often performed in group P (75% vs 57%; P=0.0018). In-hospital mortality tended to be lower in group B (1.4% vs 6.2%; P=0.105). The incidence of LVFWR was significantly higher in group B (10.0% vs 1.6%; P=0.0002).By multivariate logistic regression analysis, 1-vessel disease, absence of primary PCI, branch segment occlusion, and age were identified as independent predictors of LVFWR. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of LVFWR was higher in group B and branch segment occlusion was identified as an independent predictor of LVFWR.

Comparison of clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention versus optimal medical therapy based on gray-zone fractional flow reserve in stable angina patients with intermediate coronary artery stenosis (COMFORTABLE prospective study): Study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Even in the current drug-eluting stent era, revascularization for coronary stenosis with fractional flow reserve (FFR) between 0.75 and 0.80, the so-called "gray zone," is a matter of debate. Previous studies have reported conflicting results regarding outcomes of revascularization versus deferral for coronary stenosis when FFR values are in the gray zone, but these studies have had differing designs and populations. We therefore will investigate whether medical therapy plus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is superior to medical therapy alone in reducing major cardiovascular events in patients presenting with coronary stenosis with gray zone FFR values. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, parallel group, randomized, controlled, superiority study. A total of 410 eligible participants will be recruited and randomized to either the medical therapy plus PCI group or the medical therapy alone group. The primary endpoint is 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as a combined endpoint of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or unplanned target vessel revascularization (TVR). Secondary endpoints include MACE at 2 and 5 years. Moreover, each individual component of the primary endpoint, cardiovascular death, target vessel-related and non-target vessel-related MI, all MI, clinically driven TVR or non-TVR, all revascularization, stent thrombosis, and angina symptom status will be evaluated at 1, 2, and 5 years. DISCUSSION: This is the first prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled study to investigate the superiority of medical therapy plus PCI over medical therapy by itself in reducing major cardiovascular events in patients presenting with coronary stenosis with "gray zone" FFR values. The results will help interventional cardiologists in making revascularization decisions regarding coronary stenosis with gray zone FFR values. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000031526 . Registered on 1 March 2018.

DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection originating in a distal aortic arch aneurysm.

This report presents a case of DeBakey IIIb aortic dissection originating in a distal aortic arch fusiform aneurysm. The atherosclerotic change of the aneurysm was mild and the letter "C"-shaped intimal flap was turned over to obstruct the true lumen blood flow. A four-branched woven Dacron vascular prosthesis was implanted in a double barrel fashion. Although this case was successfully managed, an emergent operation should have been conducted.

Hyperglycemia accelerated endothelial progenitor cell senescence via the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

BACKGROUND: Both the number and function of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been shown to be impaired in patients with diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we investigated the effect of glucose on the senescence of EPCs. METHODS AND RESULTS: EPCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and characterized to evaluate the effect of glucose (in 5-12.5 mmol/L) on the rate of senescence by acidic beta-galactosidase staining. The phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) level was analyzed by ELISA. The exposure of cultured EPC to high glucose (HG; 12.5 mmol/L) significantly accelerated the rate of senescence compared with that in osmolar control (L-glucose) during 10 days culture. An inhibitory effect of HG on EPC proliferation disclosed by an MTS assay. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in EPCs was also increased by glucose compared with control in a dose-dependent manner. HG-induced EPC senescence was significantly inhibited by the addition of an inhibitor of the p38 MAPK, SB203580. CONCLUSIONS: HG accelerates the onset of EPCs senescence leading to the impairment of proliferative activity, which might be related to the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK.

Leukemia inhibitory factor relaxes arteries through endothelium-dependent mechanism.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a cytokine, which inhibits angiogenesis and decreases endothelial cell proliferation and migration, suggesting that LIF may modulate vascular tone. In this study, we examined the effects of LIF on the tone of rat arteries. The isometric tension of ring preparations from rat superior mesenteric arteries was continuously measured. LIF relaxed the mesenteric arteries in a dose-dependent manner, when the arterial rings were precontracted with phenylephrine. The relaxation was totally inhibited by mechanical removal of endothelium. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester did not affect the relaxation by LIF. Ca(2+)-dependent K channel (KCa) blockers, apamin with charybdotoxin, inhibited the relaxation by LIF. Catalase, an enzyme which scavenges hydrogen peroxide, also inhibited the relaxation by LIF. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor relaxes smooth muscle cells and the effect is blocked by KCa and catalase. Our results suggest that LIF regulates vascular tone through the effect of this factor.