[Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis with Complicated Anatomy;Report of a Case]

An 89-year-old female was admitted with progressive dyspnea. She had history of old myocardial infarction. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Computed tomography (CT) detected an ascending aortic aneurysm and a left ventricular apex aneurysm. CT confirmed the BAV with severe calcification and tight horizontal angulation. We scheduled transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). While careful wire manipulation, the valve was successfully implanted. BAV is frequently associated with dilation of the ascending aorta. The coexistence of an ascending aortic aneurysm would indicate surgery in order to be able to treat both lesions simultaneously and to avoid catastrophic stent-related complications, such as prosthesis dislodgment and aneurysm rupture. In the present case, there was also risk of left ventricular rupture due to wire manipulation. The horizontal aorta also complicates accurate positioning of the prosthesis during TAVR. This case highlights TAVR for AS with complicated anatomy.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Impact on Clinical Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients With Dyslipidemia: Subanalysis of HIJ-PROPER

Background

This study aimed to examine the impact of baseline eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) ratio on clinical outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Methods and Results

In the HIJ‐PROPER (Heart Institute of Japan Proper Level of Lipid Lowering With Pitavastatin and Ezetimibe in Acute Coronary Syndrome) study, 1734 patients with acute coronary syndrome and dyslipidemia were randomly assigned to pitavastatin+ezetimibe therapy or pitavastatin monotherapy. We divided the patients into 2 groups based on EPA/AA ratio on admission (cutoff 0.34 μg/mL as median of baseline EPA/AA ratio) and examined their clinical outcomes. The primary end point comprised all‐cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, unstable angina pectoris, or ischemia‐driven revascularization. Percentage reduction of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride from baseline to follow‐up was similar regardless of baseline EPA/AA ratio. Despite the mean low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level during follow‐up being similar between the low‐ and high‐EPA/AA groups, the mean triglyceride levels during follow‐up were significantly higher in the low‐ than in the high‐EPA/AA group. After 3 years of follow‐up, the cumulative incidence of the primary end point in patients with low EPA/AA was 27.2% in the pitavastatin+ezetimibe group compared with 36.6% in the pitavastatin‐monotherapy group (hazard ratio 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52‐0.93; P=0.015). However, there was no effect of pitavastatin+ezetimibe therapy on the primary end point in patients with high EPA/AA (hazard ratio 0.92; 95% CI, 0.70‐1.20; P=0.52).

Conclusions

Among acute coronary syndrome patients who have dyslipidemia and low EPA/AA ratio, adding ezetimibe to statin decreases the risk of cardiovascular events compared with statin monotherapy.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL: http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr. Unique identifier: UMIN000002742

Safety and Efficacy of Low-Dose Prasugrel as Part of Triple Therapy With Aspirin and Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - From the TWMU-AF PCI Registry

BACKGROUND

Using the standard maintenance dose of prasugrel (10 mg/day) as part of triple therapy with aspirin and an oral anticoagulant (OAC) is not recommended in the current guidelines because it increases the risk of bleeding compared with clopidogrel. However, the safety and efficacy of low-dose prasugrel (3.75 mg/day) as part of triple therapy has not been reported. Methods and Results: We registered 816 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from January 2011 to June 2016 at 8 hospitals in Japan. We examined the clinical outcomes of patients who received either low-dose prasugrel (n=57) or clopidogrel (n=451) as part of triple therapy after PCI. The incidences of bleeding (TIMI major and minor) and major adverse cerebrocardiovascular events (MACCE; all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, unplanned revascularization, and stroke) were evaluated. The cumulative 1-year incidence of bleeding was not significantly different (prasugrel 5.6% vs. clopidogrel 8.1%, log-rank P=0.55). In addition, the cumulative 1-year incidence of MACCE was also not significantly different (prasugrel 11.5% vs. clopidogrel 12.3%, log-rank P=0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose prasugrel, as part of triple therapy, did not increase the risk of bleeding compared with clopidogrel. Therefore, it can be an alternative to clopidogrel for patients with AF undergoing PCI.

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.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3182-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of the cut-off value for the instantaneous wave-free ratio of patients with aortic valve stenosis

The aim of this study was to examine the clinical value of iFR for AS patients. Functional evaluation of coronary stenosis in patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS) is challenging because the stress-induced test is often thought to be a contraindication. AS patients have a unique coronary flow pattern dependent on the diastolic phase. The instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) is a vasodilator-free, invasive pressure wire index of the functional severity of coronary stenosis and is calculated under resting conditions. And iFR calculated during a specific period of diastole may have the potential benefit to assess the functional severity of coronary stenosis in AS patients. We examined 158 consecutive patients (217 stenoses) whose iFR and fractional flow reserve (FFR) were measured simultaneously. Among the 158 patients, AS was observed in 13 (8.2%). The iFR showed good correlation with FFR in AS patients. The best cut-off value of iFR for the receiver-operator curve analysis to predict FFR of 0.8 was 0.9 for non-AS patients. However, it was 0.73 for AS patients. The present study demonstrated good correlation between iFR and FFR for AS patients. Vasodilator-free assessment using iFR may provide potential benefits when evaluating coronary stenosis in patients with AS. In AS patients, the best cut-off of iFR value predicting FFR value of 0.8 was lower than 0.9 that is the standard predictive value of iFR.

The Genomic Basis of Color Pattern Polymorphism in the Harlequin Ladybird

Many animal species comprise discrete phenotypic forms. A common example in natural populations of insects is the occurrence of different color patterns, which has motivated a rich body of ecological and genetic research [1-6]. The occurrence of dark, i.e., melanic, forms displaying discrete color patterns is found across multiple taxa, but the underlying genomic basis remains poorly characterized. In numerous ladybird species (Coccinellidae), the spatial arrangement of black and red patches on adult elytra varies wildly within species, forming strikingly different complex color patterns [7, 8]. In the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, more than 200 distinct color forms have been described, which classic genetic studies suggest result from allelic variation at a single, unknown, locus [9, 10]. Here, we combined whole-genome sequencing, population-based genome-wide association studies, gene expression, and functional analyses to establish that the transcription factor Pannier controls melanic pattern polymorphism in H. axyridis. We show that pannier is necessary for the formation of melanic elements on the elytra. Allelic variation in pannier leads to protein expression in distinct domains on the elytra and thus determines the distinct color patterns in H. axyridis. Recombination between pannier alleles may be reduced by a highly divergent sequence of ∼170 kb in the cis-regulatory regions of pannier, with a 50 kb inversion between color forms. This most likely helps maintain the distinct alleles found in natural populations. Thus, we propose that highly variable discrete color forms can arise in natural populations through cis-regulatory allelic variation of a single gene.

Interpolymer Self-Assembly of Bottom-up Graphene Nanoribbons Fabricated from Fluorinated Precursors

Interpolymer self-assembly of bottom-up graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) has been realized by using fluorinated anthracene trimer precursors (HFH-DBTA) deposited onto heated Au(111) substrate. Whereas polymers derived from conventional precursor [10,10'-dibromo-9,9'-bianthryl (DBBA)] are adsorbed on Au(111) without apparent close packing, poly-HFH polymers derived from HFH-DBTA are densely self-assembled and require a long annealing time for cyclo-dehydrogenation because of the steric hindrance. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory revealed that the partially fluorinated edges of HFH-DBTA make molecular-substrate interaction weaker than that of DBBA, accelerate desorption, and leave islands of accumulated and locally aligned polymers. The partially fluorinated precursors also induce templating effects in interpolymer stacking because of H-F hydrogen bonding and F-F repulsion. The statistical analysis revealed that 84% of GNRs is parallel to the adjacent GNRs in the case of HFH-DBTA precursors. Field-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated using such locally aligned multiple GNRs as channels. It has been found that on average, the on-current of the FETs is three times larger than that of FETs using less-aligned GNR channels made from the conventional DBBA precursors.

(2R,6R)-Hydroxynorketamine is not essential for the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine in mice

(R,S)-Ketamine has rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in depressed patients. Although the metabolism of (R,S)-ketamine to (2 R,6 R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK), a metabolite of (R)-ketamine, has been reported to be essential for its antidepressant effects, recent evidence suggests otherwise. The present study investigated the role of the metabolism of (R)-ketamine to (2 R,6 R)-HNK in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine. Antidepressant effects were evaluated using the forced swimming test in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation model of mice and the tail suspension test in naive mice. To prevent the metabolism of (R)-ketamine to (2 R,6 R)-HNK, mice were pretreated with cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors. The concentrations of (R)-ketamine, (R)-norketamine, and (2 R,6 R)-HNK in plasma, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were determined using enantioselective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The concentrations of (R)-norketamine and (2 R,6 R)-HNK in plasma, brain, and CSF samples after administration of (R)-norketamine (10 mg/kg) and (2 R,6 R)-HNK (10 mg/kg), respectively, were higher than those generated after administration of (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg). Nonetheless, while (R)-ketamine attenuated, neither (R)-norketamine nor (2 R,6 R)-HNK significantly altered immobility times of LPS-treated mice. Treatment with CYP inhibitors prior to administration of (R)-ketamine increased the plasma levels of (R)-ketamine, while generation of (2 R,6 R)-HNK was almost completely blocked. (R)-Ketamine exerted the antidepressant effects at a lower dose in the presence of CYP inhibitors than in their absence, which is consistent with exposure levels of (R)-ketamine but not (2 R,6 R)-HNK. These results indicate that metabolism to (2 R,6 R)-HNK is not necessary for the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine and that unmetabolized (R)-ketamine itself may be responsible for its antidepressant actions.

No Sex-Specific Differences in the Acute Antidepressant Actions of (R)-Ketamine in an Inflammation Model

BACKGROUND

Although previous reports suggest sex-specific differences in the antidepressant actions of (R,S)-ketamine, these differences in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine, which is more potent than (S)-ketamine, are unknown.

METHODS

Saline or (R)-ketamine was administered 23 hours post lipopolysaccharide administration to adult male or female mice. Subsequently, antidepressant effects were assessed using a forced swimming test. Furthermore, the concentration of (R)-ketamine and its 2 major metabolites, (R)-norketamine and (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine, was measured in the plasma and brain after the administration of (R)-ketamine in the mice.

RESULTS

(R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the increased immobility time of forced swimming test in the lipopolysaccharide-treated mice. There were no sex-specific differences in the concentrations of (R)-ketamine and its 2 metabolites in the plasma and brain.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings showed no sex-specific differences in terms of the acute antidepressant effects and pharmacokinetic profile of (R)-ketamine.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targeting with pitavastatin + ezetimibe for patients with acute coronary syndrome and dyslipidaemia: the HIJ-PROPER study, a prospective, open-label, randomized trial

Aims

To elucidate the effects of intensive LDL-C lowering treatment with a standard dose of statin and ezetimibe in patients with dyslipidaemia and high risk of coronary events, targeting LDL-C less than 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L), compared with standard LDL-C lowering lipid monotherapy targeting less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L).

Methods and results

The HIJ-PROPER study is a prospective, randomized, open-label trial to assess whether intensive LDL-C lowering with standard-dose pitavastatin plus ezetimibe reduces cardiovascular events more than standard LDL-C lowering with pitavastatin monotherapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and dyslipidaemia. Patients were randomized to intensive lowering (target LDL-C < 70 mg/dL [1.8 mmol/L]; pitavastatin plus ezetimibe) or standard lowering (target LDL-C 90 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL [2.3–2.6 mmol/L]; pitavastatin monotherapy). The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, unstable angina, and ischaemia-driven revascularization. Between January 2010 and April 2013, 1734 patients were enroled at 19 hospitals in Japan. Patients were followed for at least 36 months. Median follow-up was 3.86 years. Mean follow-up LDL-C was 65.1 mg/dL (1.68 mmol/L) for pitavastatin plus ezetimibe and 84.6 mg/dL (2.19 mmol/L) for pitavastatin monotherapy. LDL-C lowering with statin plus ezetimibe did not reduce primary endpoint occurrence in comparison with standard statin monotherapy (283/864, 32.8% vs. 316/857, 36.9%; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76–1.04, P = 0.152). In, ACS patients with higher cholesterol absorption, represented by elevated pre-treatment sitosterol, was associated with significantly lower incidence of the primary endpoint in the statin plus ezetimibe group (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56–0.91).

Conclusion

Although intensive lowering with standard pitavastatin plus ezetimibe showed no more cardiovascular benefit than standard pitavastatin monotherapy in ACS patients with dyslipidaemia, statin plus ezetimibe may be more effective than statin monotherapy in patients with higher cholesterol absorption; further confirmation is needed.

Trial No

UMIN000002742, registered as an International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial.

Real-world antithrombotic therapies and clinical outcomes after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with atrial fibrillation: a multi-center cohort study

Previous reports have focused on cardiovascular and bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, antithrombotic treatment strategies and clinical outcomes after second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation in AF patients remain to be determined. We enrolled 244 consecutive AF patients treated with second-generation DES. The study population was derived from multi-center AF registry (including 8 centers in Japan) from 2010 to 2012. Prescription of antithrombotic agents and clinical outcomes were retrospectively examined. Ninety-two patients (37.7%) were prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) at discharge and 152 patients (62.3%) were given DAPT plus oral anticoagulation (OAC) with warfarin. The median follow-up period was 730 days. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were not significantly different (2-year event rate, 17.6 vs. 13.5%, p = 0.37), but bleeding events were significantly higher in the DAPT plus OAC group than in the DAPT group (2-year event rate, 6.1 vs. 17.9%, p = 0.033). In a sub-analysis of DAPT plus OAC patients, adequate time in the therapeutic range (TTR) group (TTR ≥ 65%) was not significantly different from the suboptimal OAC group (TTR < 65%) for bleeding events, but it had a lower incidence of MACCE, resulting in better net clinical outcomes (composite of MACCE and major bleeding, 2-year event rate, 9.2 vs. 27.8%, p = 0.008). DAPT plus OAC remains more common in AF patients undergoing PCI with second-generation DES. Under adequate TTR, DAPT plus OAC showed better net clinical outcomes by reducing MACCE without increasing bleeding.

Five-year clinical outcomes of everolimus-eluting stents from the post marketing study of CoCr-EES (XIENCE V/PROMUS) in Japan

The Cobalt Chromium Everolimus-Eluting Stent (CoCr-EES) Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Japan study is a prospective multicenter registry designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of XIENCE V/PROMUS everolimus-eluting stents in routine clinical practice at 47 centers representative of the clinical environment in Japan. We enrolled 2010 consecutive patients (2649 lesions) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using CoCr-EES. Clinical outcomes were evaluated through 5 years. Mean age was 68.8 years, 41.9% had diabetes, 4.9% received hemodialysis. Five-year clinical follow up was available for 1704 (84.8%) patients. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred in 10.7% of patients, including cardiac death (3.8%), myocardial infarction (1.8%), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) (6.0%). Beyond 1 year, annual incidence of clinically driven TLR was 0.5-0.8%. Definite or probable stent thrombosis occurred in 9 (0.5%) patients at 5 years. After 1 year, definite stent thrombosis occurred in only 1 patient. Significant predictors for MACE were dialysis (ODDs ratio 4.58, 95% CI 2.75-7.64), prior cardiac intervention (ODDs ratio 2.47, 95% CI 1.75-3.49), total stent length (ODDs ratio 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02), and number of diseased vessels (ODDs ratio 1.66, 95% CI 1.08-2.55). Five-year clinical outcomes from the CoCr-EES PMS Japan study demonstrated a low incidence of clinical events in the daily practice up to 5 years.Clinical Trial Registration Information: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01086228 .

Pilot Cohort Study Assessing the Efficacy of Endovascular Revascularization in the Restoration of Peripheral Sensory Disturbance in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia

BACKGROUND

Sensory disturbance (SD) is a common consequence of peripheral nerve damage associated with diabetes and severe ischemia. Progression of SD places patients at high risk for lower extremity ulcers and amputations. SD has been thought to be progressive and irreversible, and possibly caused by microvascular dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine whether endovascular revascularization (EVR) induces quantifiable changes in SD in chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients with neuropathy.Methods and Results:In all, 36 legs from 28 chronic CLI patients who underwent elective EVR were prospectively enrolled in this study (64% with diabetes and 54% on maintenance hemodialysis). The current perception threshold (CPT), an established diagnostic parameter for SD, was measured before and 3 months after EVR. Of the target lesions, 11%, 47%, and 81% were in the aortoiliac, femoropopliteal, and below-the-knee arteries, respectively, and 58% were totally occluded. Overall CPT in the target foot had improved significantly 3 months after EVR (from 53 to 30 µA; P=0.010); however, EVR did not change CPT in the non-target foot (from 44 to 33 µA; P=0.33). Patients with improved SD after EVR had a significantly higher 180-day survival rate (94% vs. 63%; P=0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

EVR improved CPT in target limbs of patients with CLI, and may be a promising option to improve SD associated with peripheral ischemic sensory neuropathy.

Clinical Characteristics and Long-Term Outcomes of Rotational Atherectomy - J2T Multicenter Registry

BACKGROUND

Rotational atherectomy (RA) is an adjunct tool for the management of heavily calcified coronary lesions during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but the long-term clinical outcomes of RA use remain unclear in this drug-eluting stent era.Methods and Results:This multi-center registry assessed the characteristics and outcomes of patients treated by RA for calcified coronary lesions between 2004 and 2015. Among 1,090 registered patients, mean age was 70±10 years and 815 (75%) were male. Sixty percent of patients had diabetes mellitus and 27.7% were receiving hemodialysis. The procedure was successful in 96.2%. In-hospital death occurred in 33 patients (3.0%), and 14 patients (1.3%) developed definite/probable stent thrombosis. During the median follow-up period of 3.8 years, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as all-cause death, acute coronary syndrome, stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularization and stroke, was 46.7%. On multivariable Cox hazard analysis, hemodialysis (HR, 2.08; 95% CI: 1.53-2.86; P<0.0001) and age (HR, 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.04; P<0.0001) were strong independent predictors of MACE. Conversely, statin treatment was associated with lower incidence of MACE (P=0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

This study has provided the largest Japanese dataset for long-term follow-up of RA. Although RA in calcified lesions appears feasible with a high rate of procedural success, a high incidence of MACE was observed.