Pulmonary embolism risk stratification by European Society of Cardiology is associated with recurrent venous thromboembolism: Findings from a long-term follow-up study

NF-κB affected the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β via activation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in rat model of acute pulmonary microthromboembolism

Pulmonary thromboembolism caused by thrombi blocking major pulmonary artery and its branches, is a frequently encountered phenomenon and an important cause of high morbidity and mortality in lung diseases and may develop into persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway had been reported participated in the formation and development of PH by promoting inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NF-κB activation on the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in acute pulmonary microthromboembolism (APMTE) rats. Rats were randomized into five groups. APMTE group received jugular vein injection of autologous thrombus, while control group rats received normal saline injection. Pulmonary hemodynamic parameters were measured through ECHO-guided transthoracic puncture. Pulmonary vascular morphological changes were analyzed by HE. The expression changes of NF-κB and serum TNF-α、IL-1β levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway including p-IκBα, p-p38 MAPK, p-NF-κB p65, IκBα, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB p65 was determined using western blot analysis. Compared with control group, the expression of NF-κB in lung tissue and the levels of serum TNF-α and IL-1β rats were higher, a significant reduction in IκBα and elevation in the phosphorylation of IκBα, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB p65 were found in APMTE group rats. And UK administration reversed the APMTE-induced increase in TNF-α, IL-1β, p-IκBα, p-MAPK, and p-NF-κB protein. Furthermore, the levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1β were positively correlated with mean pulmonary artery. And the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were positively correlated with NF-κB. These findings suggest that the activation of MAPK/NF-κB pathway as a critical driver of increasing TNF-α and IL-1β level in APMTE rats and UK exerted protective effects against APMTE-induced PH may be related to the downregulation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Trends in risk stratification, in-hospital management and mortality of patients with acute pulmonary embolism: an analysis from China pUlmonary thromboembolism REgistry Study (CURES)

BACKGROUND

Similar trends of management and in-hospital mortality of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) have been reported in European and American populations. However, these tendencies were not clear in Asian countries.

OBJECTIVES

We retrospectively analyzed the trends of risk stratification, management and in-hospital mortality for patients with acute PE through a multicenter registry in China (CURES).

METHODS

Adult patients with acute symptomatic PE were included between 2009 and 2015. Trends in disease diagnosis, treatment and death in hospital were fully analyzed. Risk stratification was retrospectively classified by hemodynamical status and the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) score according to the 2014 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines.

RESULTS

Among overall 7438 patients, the proportions with high (hemodynamically instability), intermediate (sPESI≥1) and low (sPESI=0) risk were 4.2%, 67.1% and 28.7%, respectively. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography was the widely employed diagnostic approach (87.6%) and anticoagulation was the frequently adopted initial therapy (83.7%). Between 2009 and 2015, a significant decline was observed for all-cause mortality (from 3.1% to 1.3%, adjusted P _{for trend}=0.0003), with a concomitant reduction in use of initial systemic thrombolysis (from 14.8% to 5.0%, P _{for trend}<0.0001). The common predictors for all-cause mortality shared by hemodynamically stable and unstable patients were co-existing cancer, older age, and impaired renal function.

CONCLUSIONS

The considerable reduction of mortality over years was accompanied by changes of initial treatment. These findings highlight the importance of risk stratification-guided management throughout the nation.

Correlation of thrombosed vessel location and clot burden score with severity of disease and risk stratification in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Objective:

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is used for the main diagnosis in acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Determining the thrombus location in the pulmonary vascular tree is also important for predicting disease severity. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of the thrombus location and the clot burden with the disease severity and the risk stratification in patients with APE.

Methods:

The study included patients with APE diagnosed by CTPA who were admitted to the hospital between January 28, 2016, and July 1, 2019. Data collected were markers of severity in APE, including patient demographics, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) score, modified PESI score, Wells score, risk stratification according to the American Heart Association, systolic blood pressure (SBP), right ventricle diameter to left ventricle diameter ratio, pulmonary arterial pressure, brain natriuretic peptide, troponin, D-dimer, and plasma lactate levels, and vessel location of the thrombus, clot burden score, ratio of the pulmonary artery trunk diameter/aortic diameter, superior vena cava diameter (SVC) by CTPA, and survival. All parameters were analyzed in correlation with clot load and vessel location.

Results:

Thrombus vascular location was found to be correlated with risk stratification and negatively correlated with SBP. Simplified Mastora score was correlated with risk stratification, SVC diameter, and D-dimer and negatively correlated with SBP. Occlusion of both the pulmonary artery trunk and any pulmonary artery with thrombus was associated with massive APE.

Conclusion:

The level of the occluded vessel on CTPA may provide the ability to risk-stratify, and the clot burden score may be used for assessing both risk stratification and cardiac strain.

Acute pulmonary embolism: a concise review of diagnosis and management

An acute pulmonary embolism (aPE) is characterised by occlusion of one or more pulmonary arteries. Physiological disturbance may be minimal, but often cardiac output decreases as the right ventricle attempts to overcome increased afterload. Additionally, ventilation-perfusion mismatches can develop in affected vascular beds, reducing systemic oxygenation. Incidence is reported at 50-75 per 100 000 in Australia and New Zealand, with 30-day mortality rates ranging from 0.5% to over 20%. Incidence is likely to increase with the ageing population, increased survival of patients with comorbidities that are considered risk factors and improving sensitivity of imaging techniques. Use of clinical prediction scores, such as the Wells score, has assisted in clinical decision-making and decreased unnecessary radiological investigations. However, imaging (i.e. computed tomography pulmonary angiography or ventilation-perfusion scans) is still necessary for objective diagnosis. Anti-coagulation remains the foundation of PE management. Haemodynamically unstable patients require thrombolysis unless absolutely contraindicated, while stable patients with right ventricular dysfunction or ischaemia should be aggressively anti-coagulated. Stable patients with no right ventricular dysfunction can be discharged home early with anti-coagulation and review. However, treatment should be case dependent with full consideration of the patient's clinical state. Direct oral anti-coagulants have become an alternative to vitamin K antagonists and are facilitating shorter hospital admissions. Additionally, duration of anti-coagulation must be decided by considering any provoking factors, bleeding risk and comorbid state. Patients with truly unprovoked or idiopathic PE often require indefinite treatment, while in provoked cases it is typically 3 months with some patients requiring longer periods of 6-12 months.

The secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism: Towards an individual therapeutic strategy

After the anticoagulant withdrawal, a substantial proportion of patients with venous thromboembolism will develop recurrent events. Whether to consider an extended treatment depends on the risk of recurrence and bleeding risk. The assessment of the individual risk profile remains a difficult task. Several basal and post-basal factors modulate the risk of recurrence and may help clinicians to select patients who can benefit from the extended therapy. During the year 2017, new evidence regarding the post-basal factors was provided by the Morgagni and Scope studies. Another interesting novelty was the VTE-BLEED score, the first bleeding risk score that obtained the external validation in venous thromboembolism setting. In secondary prevention, the use of direct oral anticoagulants is growing instead of vitamin K antagonist. Even at lower doses, direct oral anticoagulants showed to be effective and safe, to reduce all-cause mortality and seemed to be superior to placebo for the composite outcome of fatal bleeding and fatal recurrence. After the recently published Einstein-Choice trial, the role of aspirin has become truly marginal as rivaroxaban 10 mg showed a bleeding risk similar to aspirin 100 mg but a greater effectiveness reducing the relative risk of recurrence by about 70%. Another option for secondary prevention could be sulodexide, with a lower protective effect than direct oral anticoagulants but an interesting safety profile. In conclusion, in our opinion, an individual strategy taking into account the risk of recurrence, bleeding risk, therapeutic options and patient preferences is the most appropriate approach to secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism.

Pulmonary embolism and in situ pulmonary artery thrombosis in paediatrics

Data on paediatric pulmonary embolism (PE) are scarce. We sought to systematically review the current literature on childhood PE and conducted a search on paediatric PE via PubMed (1946–2013) and Embase (1980–2013). There was significant heterogeneity in reported data. Two patterns were noted: classic thromboembolic PE (TE-PE) and in situ pulmonary artery thrombosis (ISPAT). Mean age of presentation for TE-PE was 14.86 years, and 51% of cases were males. The commonest method for diagnosis of TE-PE was contrast CT with angiography (74% of patients). The diagnosis of TE-PE was often delayed. Although 85% of children with TE-PE had an elevated D-dimer at presentation, it was non-discriminatory for the diagnosis. In paediatric TE-PE, the prevalence of central venous catheters was 23%, immobilisation 38%, systemic infection 31% and obesity 13%, elevated Factor VIII or von Willebrand factor levels 27%, Protein C deficiency 17%, Factor V Leiden 14% and Protein S deficiency 7%. In patients with TE-PE, pharmacologic thrombolysis was used in 29%; unfractionated heparin was the most common initial anticoagulant treatment in 64% and low-molecular-weight heparins the most common follow-up treatment in 83%. Duration of anticoagulant therapy was variable and death was reported in 26% of TE-PE patients. In contrast to TE-PE, patients with ISPAT were not investigated systematically for presence of thrombophilia, had more surgical interventions as the initial management and were often treated with anti-platelet medications. This review summarises important data and identifies gaps in the knowledge of paediatric PE, which may help to design future studies.

Association between computed tomography obstruction index and mortality in elderly patients with acute pulmonary embolism: A prospective validation study

INTRODUCTION

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) has not only become the method of choice for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism (PE), it also allows for risk stratification of patients with PE. To date, no study has specifically examined the predictive value of CTPA findings to assess short-term prognosis in elderly patients with acute PE who are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes.

METHODS

We studied 291 patients aged ≥65 years with acute symptomatic PE in a prospective multicenter cohort. Outcomes were 90-day overall and PE-related mortality, recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE), and length of hospital stay (LOS). We examined associations of the computed tomography obstruction index (CTOI) and the right ventricular (RV) to left ventricular (LV) diameter ratio with mortality and VTE recurrence using survival analysis, adjusting for provoked VTE, Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), and anticoagulation as a time-varying covariate.

RESULTS

Overall, 15 patients died within 90 days. There was no association between the CTOI and 90-day overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio per 10% CTOI increase 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-1.21; P = 0.54), but between the CTOI and PE-related 90-day mortality (adjusted sub-hazard ratio per 10% CTOI increase 1.36; 95% CI 1.03-1.81; P = 0.03). The RV/LV diameter ratio was neither associated with overall nor PE-related 90-day mortality. The CTOI and the RV/LV diameter ratio were significantly associated with VTE recurrence and LOS.

CONCLUSIONS

In elderly patients with acute PE, the CTOI was associated with PE-related 90-day mortality but not with overall 90-day mortality. The RV/LV diameter ratio did not predict mortality. Both measures predicted VTE recurrence and LOS. The evaluated CTPA findings do not appear to offer any advantage over the PESI in terms of mortality prediction.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased bleeding in pulmonary embolism receiving conventional anticoagulant therapy: findings from a "real-world" study

Bleeding refers to the most important complication during anticoagulation therapy in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the incidence and risk factors of bleeding in Chinese population with anticoagulant therapy remains unknown. Although diabetes mellitus (DM) has been demonstrated to increase the risk of PE, little information of its influence on anticoagulation-associated bleeding risk can be available. In our study, 563 acute PE patients, who fulfilled the including criteria were enrolled from a single center and received conventional anticoagulant therapy. And there were 539 patients completed the 3 months following-up. The cumulative incidences of major bleeding (MB) and clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB) were 3.0% (95% CI 1.01-3.05) and 14.0% (95% CI 1.47-5.21), respectively. Besides, anemia (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.12-11.41) and recent history of MB (OR 8.14, 95% CI 1.41-31.95) were independently associated with MB. Age >65 year (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.12-3.11), cancer (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.12-4.01) and therapeutic range (TTR) during 3 months (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.91-0.98) were independently associated with CRNMB. Additionally, DM was an independent risk factor for both MB (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.10-4.12) and CRNMB (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.10-4.12). Notably, the incidence of MB or CRNMB was significantly higher in DM patients than non-DM patients. At the end of 3-month follow-up, the HbA1C in CRNMB group was 8.3%, yet it was 7.0% in non-CRNMB group among diabetic patients (p = 0.04). In conclusions, the bleeding rates are high in patients with acute PE who receive anticoagulant therapy. In addition to the already known bleeding risk factors, DM can also increase the bleeding risk significantly. Thus, good glycemic control may be essential after prescription of anticoagulant therapy.