Impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-related complications on in-hospital mortality.

INTRODUCTION: Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a well-established treatment for supporting severe cardiopulmonary failure, the morbidity and mortality of patients requiring ECMO support remain high. Evaluating and correcting potential risk factors associated with any ECMO-related complications may improve care and decrease mortality. This study aimed to assess the predictors of ECMO-related vascular and cerebrovascular complications among adult patients and to test the hypothesis that ECMO-related complications are associated with higher in-hospital mortality rates. METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study included 856 ECMO runs administered via cannulation of the femoral vessels of 769 patients: venoarterial (VA) ECMO (n = 709, 82.8%) and venovenous (VV) ECMO (n = 147, 17.2%). The study outcomes included the occurrence of ECMO-related vascular and cerebrovascular complications and in-hospital death. The association of ECMO-related complications with the risk of in-hospital death was analyzed. RESULTS: The incidences of ECMO-related vascular and cerebrovascular complications were 20.2% and 13.6%, respectively. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 48.7%: 52.8% among VA ECMO runs and 29.3% among VV ECMO runs. Multivariable analysis indicated that age (P < 0.01), cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (P < 0.01), continuous renal replacement therapy (P < 0.01), and initial platelet count [<50×103/µL (P = 0.02) and 50-100(×103)/µL (P < 0.01)] were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death. ECMO-related vascular and cerebrovascular complications were not independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality rates for VA or VV ECMO runs. CONCLUSION: ECMO-related vascular and cerebrovascular complications were not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death among adult patients.

Endotension Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Retrospective Review of Treatment and Clinical Outcome.

Purpose: : Endotension is a rare late complication characterized by an increase in sac size without any type of endoleak following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Due to its rarity, few studies have demonstrated the mechanism behind and the management of endotension. In this study, we aimed to better understand the treatment and the long-term outcome of endotension in a single-center cohort. Materials and Methods: : This study was designed for a retrospective review of the patients diagnosed with endotension between January 2006 and December 2017. The study patients were categorized into two groups (primary versus secondary) based on the presence of any type of endoleak before the diagnosis of endotension. We collected data related to endotension treatment, intraoperative findings, and long-term outcomes. Results: : In a cohort of 15 patients diagnosed with endotension following EVAR, eight were classified into the primary endotension (PE) group without prior endoleak, and seven exhibited secondary endotension (SE). Among the eight PE patients, endovascular intervention for a preemptive purpose was conducted in six patients; however, three (50%) showed continuous sac expansion and finally received open conversion. Overall, eight patients (five in PE and three in SE) underwent open conversion, and one (12.5%) presented with an undetected endoleak during the operative findings. Postoperative morbidity was observed in three patients with no operative mortality. Conclusion: : Endotension can be managed initially through simple observation for changes on serial images, along with preemptive endovascular intervention. However, surgical intervention should be considered for patients with specific indications including continuous aneurysm sac enlargement, presence of symptoms, suspicions of migration of stent-graft with endoleak, and infection.

Effects of abdominal aortic aneurysm on long-term survival in lung cancer patients.

The major causes of death in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are cardiovascular disease and cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of AAA on long-term survival in lung cancer patients. All patient data with degenerative type AAA and lung cancer over 50 years of age during the period 2009 to 2018 was collected retrospectively from a National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) administrative database and matched to lung cancer patients without AAA by age, sex, metastasis, and other comorbidities. Mortality rate was compared between the groups. A total of 956 AAA patients who could be matched with patients without AAA were included, and 3824 patients in the matched group were used for comparison. Patients with AAA showed higher risk of death compared with the matched cohort (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.23, p < 0.001). When compared to a matched group of untreated AAA patients, patients with of history of AAA exhibited a significantly increased risk of overall mortality [HR (95%CI) 1.219 (1.113-1.335), p < .001, adjusted HR (95% CI) 1.177 (1.073-1.291), p = .001]. By contrast, mortality risk of AAA patients treated either by endovascular abdominal aortic repair or open surgical repair was not significantly different from that of the matched group (p = 0.079 and p = 0.625, respectively). The mortality risk was significantly higher when AAA was present in lung cancer patients, especially in patients with unrepaired AAA, suggesting the need for continuous cardiovascular risk management.

Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is a serious complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with high operative mortality and morbidity rates. The present study evaluated the perioperative and long-term outcomes of Korean patients with rAAA based on national health insurance claims data. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database was searched retrospectively to identify patients with rAAA who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) from 2009 to 2018. Perioperative (≤ 30 days), early postoperative (≤ 3 month), and long-term (> 3 month) survival, reinterventions, and complications were assessed. RESULTS: The search identified 1,034 patients with rAAA, including 594 who underwent EVAR and 440 who underwent OSR. When the study period was divided into two, the total numbers of patients with rAAA, patients who underwent EVAR, and octogenarians were higher during the second half. The perioperative mortality rate was 29.8% in the EVAR and 35.0% in the OSR group (P = 0.028). Hartmann's procedure for bowel infarction was performed more frequently in the OSR than in the EVAR group (adjusted odds ratio, 6.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.33-21.84; P = 0.001), but other complication rates did not differ significantly. All-cause mortality during the entire observation period did not differ significantly in the EVAR and OSR groups (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.98-1.41; P = 0.087). Abdominal aortic aneurysm-related reintervention rate was significantly lower in the OSR group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.14-0.70; P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Although EVAR showed somewhat superior perioperative outcomes for rAAA, the long-term outcomes of EVAR after excluding initial 3 months were significantly worse than OSR. When anatomically feasible for both treatments, the perioperative mortality risk and reasonable prospects of long-term survival should be considered in rAAA.

Technical Tips for Performing Suprahepatic Vena Cava Tumor Thrombectomy in Renal Cell Carcinoma without Using Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombectomy for advanced renal cell carcinoma is an oncologically relevant approach that can achieve long-term survival even in the presence of distant metastases. However, the surgical techniques pose significant challenges. The objective of this clinical review was to present technical recommendations for tumor thrombectomy in the vena cava to facilitate surgical treatment. Transesophageal echocardiography is required to prepare for this procedure. Cardiopulmonary bypass should be considered when the tumor thrombus has invaded the cardiac chamber and clamping is not feasible because of the inability to milk the intracardiac chamber thrombus in the caudal direction. Prior to performing a cavotomy, it is crucial to clamp the contralateral renal vein and infrarenal and suprahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC). If the suprahepatic IVC is separated from the surrounding tissue, it can be gently pulled down toward the patient's leg until the lower margin of the atrium becomes visible. Subsequently, the tumor thrombus should be carefully pulled downward to a position where it can be clamped. Implementing the Pringle maneuver to reduce blood flow from the hepatic veins to the IVC during IVC cavotomy is simpler than clamping the hepatic veins. Sequential clamping is a two-stage method of dividing thrombectomy by clamping the IVC twice, first suprahepatically and then midretrohepatically. This sequential clamping technique helps minimize hypotension status and the Pringle maneuver time compared to single clamping. Additionally, a spiral cavotomy can decrease the degree of primary closure narrowing. The oncological prognoses of patients can be improved by incorporating these technical recommendations.

An Epidemiologic Study of the Incidence and Mortality of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Koreans Aged ≥50 Years from 2009 to 2018 Based on a National Database.

Large-scale population studies of the incidence of and mortality from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are needed to develop healthcare policies and priorities. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of AAA and the all-cause mortality from it among Koreans aged ≥50 years from 2009 to 2018 using data from the Korean National Health Insurance System Database. The crude and standardized incidence and all-cause mortality of the disease among patients with unruptured AAA were calculated. A total of 73,933 AAA patients were identified. The overall incidence of AAA in adults ≥50 years during the study period was 37.5 per 100,000 population (49.7 per 100,000 in men and 26.8 per 100,000 in women), with an increase from 32.33 per 100,000 persons in 2009 to 46.85 per 100,000 in 2018. The crude all-cause mortality rate of patients with untreated AAA was 21.26/100 person-years in 2009 and 8.87/100 person-years in 2018, with decreasing trends observed both in men and women. This nationwide study showed that the incidence of AAA in Koreans aged ≥50 years in 2018 was 63.40 per 100,000 in men and 32.07 per 100,000 in women. The overall rates were 0.06% and 0.03%, respectively, with an increasing trend. Mortality has decreased in both treated and untreated patients. The observed increase in incidence suggests a rising burden of AAA in the Korean population, particularly among men. The decreasing mortality rates may indicate improvements in the management and treatment of AAA over the study period.

Treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in Korea: a nationwide study.

Purpose: Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has been shown to be superior to open surgical repair (OSR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) treatment, no large-scale studies in the Korean population have compared outcomes and costs. Methods: The National Health Insurance Service database in Korea was screened to identify AAA patients treated with EVAR or OSR from 2008 to 2019. Perioperative, early postoperative, and long-term survival were compared, as were reinterventions and complications. Patients were followed-up through 2020. Results: Of the 13,631 patients identified, 2,935 underwent OSR and 10,696 underwent EVAR. Perioperative mortality rate was lower in the EVAR group (4.2% vs. 8.0%, P < 0.001) even after excluding patients with ruptured AAA (2.7% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.003). However, long-term mortality rate per 100 person-years was significantly higher in the EVAR than in the OSR group (9.0 vs. 6.4, P < 0.001), and all-cause mortality was lower in the OSR group (hazard ratio, 0.9; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.97, P = 0.008). EVAR had a higher AAA-related reintervention rate per 100 person-years (1.75 vs. 0.52), and AAA-related reintervention costs were almost 10-fold higher with EVAR (US dollar [USD] 6,153,463) than with OSR (USD 624,216). Conclusion: While EVAR may have short-term advantages, OSR may provide better long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness for AAA treatment in the Korean population, under the medical expense system in Korea.

Clinical outcomes of in situ graft reconstruction in treating infected abdominal aortic stent grafts following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair: a single-center experience.

Purpose: This study aimed to review our experience with the explantation of infected endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) grafts. Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study analyzed the data of 12 consecutive patients who underwent infected aortic stent graft explantation following EVAR between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019, of which 11 underwent in situ graft reconstruction following graft removal. The presentation symptoms, infection route, original pathology of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), graft materials, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Six patients underwent total explantation, whereas 5 underwent removal of only the fabric portions. For in situ reconstructions, prosthetic grafts and banked allografts were used in 8 and 3 patients, respectively. Four mechanisms of graft infection were noted in 11 patients: 4 had bacteremia from systemic infections, 3 had persistent infections following EVAR of primary infected AAA, 3 had ascending infections from adjacent abscesses, and 1 had an aneurysm sac erosion resulting in an aortoenteric fistula. No infection-related postoperative complications or reinfections occurred during the mean 65.27-month (standard deviation, ±52.51) follow-up period. One patient died postoperatively because of the rupture of the proximal aortic wall pseudoaneurysm that had occurred during forceful bare stent removal. Conclusion: Regardless of graft material, in situ graft reconstruction is safe for interposition in treating an infected aortic stent graft following EVAR. In our experience, the residual bare stent is no longer a risk factor for reinfection. Therefore, it is important not to injure the proximal aortic wall when removing the bare stent by force.

A multicenter, randomized, open-labelled, non-inferiority trial of sustained-release sarpogrelate versus clopidogrel after femoropopliteal artery intervention.

Optimal antiplatelet therapy after endovascular therapy (EVT) for peripheral artery disease is controversial. This trial aimed to evaluate whether sarpogrelate plus aspirin was non-inferior for preventing early restenosis after femoropopliteal (FP) EVT compared to clopidogrel plus aspirin. In this open-label, prospective randomized trial, 272 patients were enrolled after successful EVT for FP lesions. Patients in each group received aspirin 100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg or sarpogrelate 300 mg orally once per day for 6 months. The primary outcome was target lesion restenosis at 6 months, tested for noninferiority. Patient characteristics and EVT patterns were similar, except for increased inflow procedures in the sarpogrelate group and increased outflow procedures in the clopidogrel group. The sarpogrelate group showed a tendency of less restenosis at 6 months than the clopidogrel group (13.0% vs. 19.1%, difference 6.1 percentage points, 95% CI for noninferiority - 0.047 to 0.169). Secondary endpoints related to safety outcomes were rare in both groups. Risks of target lesion restenosis of the two intervention arm were uniform across most major subgroups except for those with coronary artery disease. In conclusion, Sarpogrelate plus aspirin is non-inferior to clopidogrel plus aspirin in preventing early restenosis after FP EVT. Larger multi-ethnic trials are required to generalize these findings. Trial registration: National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02959606; 09/11/2016).

Management strategy for extracranial carotid artery aneurysms: A single-center experience.

ABSTRACT: This single-center, retrospective study aimed to describe the anatomic and clinical characteristics of extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAAs) and to compare various ECAA management strategies in terms of outcomes.A total of 41 consecutive patients, who underwent treatment for ECAAs between November 1996 and May 2020, were included in this study. The ECAAs were anatomically categorized using the Attigah and Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) classifications. The possible study outcomes were restenosis or occlusion of the ipsilateral carotid artery after treatment and treatment-associated morbidity or mortality.The 41 patients were stratified into three groups according to the management strategies employed: surgical (n = 25, 61.0%), endovascular (n = 10, 24.4%), and conservative treatment (n = 6, 14.6%). A palpable, pulsatile mass was the most common clinical manifestation (n = 16, 39.0%), and degenerative aneurysms (n = 29, 65.9%) represented the most common pathogenetic or etiological mechanism. According to the Attigah classification, type I ECAAs (n = 24, 58.5%) were the most common. Using the PUMCH classification, type I ECAAs (n = 26, 63.4%) were the most common. There was a higher prevalence of Attigah type I ECAAs among patients who underwent surgical treatment compared with those who underwent endovascular treatment (64.0% vs 40.0%, P = .09), whereas patients with PUMCH type IIa aneurysms were more likely to receive endovascular treatment (12.0% vs 30.0%). False aneurysms were more likely to be treated using endovascular techniques (20% vs 70%, P = 0.02). Except for two early internal carotid artery occlusions (one each among patients who underwent surgical and endovascular treatments, respectively), there were no early or late restenoses or occlusions during follow-up. Cranial nerve injuries were noted in three patients after surgical treatment, and late ipsilateral strokes occurred in two patients (one each among patients who underwent endovascular and conservative treatment, respectively). There were no other treatment-associated complications or deaths during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Both surgical and endovascular treatments could be performed safely for ECAAs with good long-term results according to anatomic location and morphology.

Aortoiliac diameter and length in a healthy cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Diameter is currently the only screening and diagnostic criterion for asymptomatic aneurysms. Therefore, aortic and lower-extremity arterial diameter has diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic importance. We aimed to determine aortic and lower-extremity arterial reference diameters in a general population and compare them according to age, sex, and other characteristics. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive 3,692 patients who underwent computed tomography as part of a general health checkup from 2015-2019 in a single tertiary center. Aortic and lower-extremity arterial diameters and the most important factor related to arterial diameters were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the abdominal aorta was 17.490 ± 2.110 mm, while that of the common iliac artery was 10.851 ± 1.689 mm. The mean diameter of the abdominal aorta was 18.377 ± 1.766 mm in men and 15.884 ± 1.694 mm in women. Significant intersex differences were observed for all mean diameters and lengths. Multilinear regression analysis showed that age, sex, and body surface area impacted mean diameters of all measured sites except aorta and common iliac artery length. Between male and female patients matched for body surface area, there were significant intersex differences for all measured sites, except for common iliac artery length. CONCLUSIONS: The mean diameter of the abdominal aorta in this healthy cohort was 17.490 ± 2.110 mm overall, 18.377 ± 1.766 mm in men, and 15.884 ± 1.694 mm in women. Arterial diameter increased with male sex, older age, and increased body surface area, and aortic diameters were larger in men than in women with the same body surface area.

Analysis of outcomes and renal recovery after adult living-donor liver transplantation among recipients with hepatorenal syndrome.

When timely access to deceased-donor livers is not feasible, living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an attractive option for patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). This study's primary objective was to describe outcomes after LDLT among HRS recipients, and the secondary objective was to determine predictors of poor renal recovery after LDLT. This single-center, retrospective study included 2185 LDLT recipients divided into HRS (n = 126, 5.8%) and non-HRS (n = 2059, 94.2%) groups. The study outcomes were survival and post-LT renal recovery. The HRS group had a higher death rate than the non-HRS group (17.5% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.001). In the HRS group, post-LT renal recovery occurred in 69.0%, and the death rate was significantly lower in association with HRS recovery compared with non-recovery (5.7% vs. 43.6%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis indicated that post-LT sepsis (p < 0.001) and non-recovery of HRS (p < 0.001) were independent negative prognostic factors for survival. Diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01), pre-LT peak serum creatinine ≥3.2 mg/dl (p = 0.002), time interval from HRS diagnosis to LDLT ≥38 days (p = 0.01), and post-LT sepsis (p = 0.03) were important negative prognostic factors for renal recovery after LDLT. In conclusion, post-LT renal recovery was important for survival, and the interval from HRS to LDLT was significantly associated with post-LT renal recovery.

Long-term outcomes of large artery thromboangiitis obliterans and comparison with small artery thromboangiitis obliterans.

ABSTRACT: Although the distribution of arterial involvement is still the subject of controversy for defining the diagnostic criteria for thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), several reports have described TAO involving the more proximal arterial segment. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of large artery TAO in comparison with those of small artery TAO.Between January 2007 and July 2019, 83 consecutive symptomatic patients with a diagnosis of lower extremity TAO were stratified according to the most proximal arterial involvement, with the cutoff level of the adductor canal as a reference (large artery TAO versus small artery TAO), and analyzed retrospectively. The study outcomes included any amputations and major amputations.The large artery TAO group consisted of 30 patients (36.1%), and the small artery TAO group consisted of 53 patients (63.9%). In terms of clinical symptoms and signs, the proportion of major tissue loss (Rutherford class 6) was significantly higher among patients with large artery TAO than among those with small artery TAO (13.3% versus 0%, P = .02). Any amputation rate was similar between the large and small artery TAO groups during the median follow-up period of 148 months (range, 0-376 months) (43.3% versus 28.3%, P = .16). However, the major amputation rate was significantly higher among patients with large artery TAO (13.3% versus 0%, P = .02). On Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the cumulative event-free rates, although there was a similar 10-year amputation-free survival rate (P = .24) between the 2 groups, the large artery TAO group had a significantly lower 10-year major amputation-free survival rate (P < .01) than the small artery TAO group.Large artery TAO is a limb-threatening condition and had a worse prognosis than small artery TAO.

Similar long-term outcomes between endovascular aneurysm repair and open surgical repair for abdominal aortic aneurysms in octogenarian patients: a single-center study.

Purpose: Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has lower perioperative mortality and morbidity rates and shorter hospital stays when compared to open surgical repair (OSR) in octogenarian patients. However, its long-term results remain unclear. Hence, we aimed to analyze and compare the long-term outcomes of OSR and EVAR in this aging population. Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study analyzed the data of patients older than 80 years who underwent primary repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) between 2011 and 2016 in our hospital. The primary outcomes were in-hospital complications and 30-day mortality, while the secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and reintervention rate. Results: Among the 48 patients with elective AAA repair, 13 underwent OSR and 35 underwent EVAR. In-hospital complications occurred in 10 patients (20.8%), 5 for OSR (38.5%) and 5 for EVAR (14.3%) with no significant difference between the groups (P = 0.067). In the OSR group, pulmonary complications were the most common events; in the EVAR group, 2 patients had ischemic colitis diagnosed with sigmoidoscopy and recovered by conservative treatment. The 1- and 5-year survival rates were 77.8% and 55.6% in the OSR group, and 66.0% and 54.9% in the EVAR group, respectively. The reintervention rate was 8.6% for the EVAR group; none of the OSR group were readmitted. Conclusion: The difference in procedures did not affect patient survival. Therefore, OSR does not necessarily have a worse prognosis than EVAR. Individual risk stratification must be preceded before the selection of an appropriate treatment method.

Quality-adjusted life year comparison at medium term follow-up of endovascular versus open surgical repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm in young patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the quality of life and cost effectiveness between endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) in young patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). DESIGN: This was a single-center, observational, and retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients with AAA, who were <70 years old and underwent EVAR or OSR between January 2012 and October 2016. Only patients with aortic morphology that was suitable for EVAR were enrolled. Data on the complication rates, medical expenses, and expected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were collected, and the cost per QALY at three years was compared. RESULTS: Among 90 patients with aortic morphology who were eligible for EVAR, 37 and 53 patients underwent EVAR and OSR, respectively. No significant differences were observed in perioperative cardiovascular events and death between the two groups. However, during the follow-up period, patients undergoing OSR showed a significantly lower complication rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.11; P = .021). From the three-year cost-effectiveness analysis, the total sum of costs was significantly lower in the OSR group (P < .001) than that in the EVAR group, and the number of QALYs was superior in the OSR group (P = .013). The cost per QALY at three years was significantly lower in the OSR group than that in the EVAR group (mean: $4038 vs. $10 137; respectively; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: OSR had lower complication rates and better cost-effectiveness than EVAR Among young patients with feasible aortic anatomy.

Cardiovascular morbidities in postoperative colorectal cancer patients.

This retrospective observational study investigated the long-term prevalence of new-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the predictive role of atherosclerotic plaque in the aorta and iliac arteries for CVD in postoperative colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who received surgical treatment between 2014 and 2015. CVD included coronary or cerebrovascular diseases which required treatment and new-onset CVD included peri-and postoperatively diagnosed CVDs or aggravated CVDs that required additional treatment during follow-up. Of the 2,875 patients included in this study, the prevalence of CVD was 8.9% (255/2875) and 141 (4.9%) developed new-onset CVD. Maximum arterial stenosis in the aorta or iliac arteries occurred in 40.8 ± 18.6% of patients with new-onset CVD and 11.6 ± 13.8% of patients without new-onset CVD (p < 0.001). The mean new-onset CVD-free survival time in patients with > 30% and < 30% stenoses were 52.5 [95% confidence intervals (CIs) 50.0-54.9] and 66.5 (95% CIs 66.2-66.8) months, respectively (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the maximal arterial stenosis for new-onset CVD was 0.911. These results suggest that CRC patients are at risk for developing new-onset CVD, which is associated with reduced survival. Atherosclerotic burden in the aorta or both iliac arteries may help predict future CVD events.

The Prevalence of Concomitant Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Cancer.

Cancers and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) cause substantial morbidity and mortality and commonly develop in old age. It has been previously reported that AAA patients have a high prevalence of cancers, which has raised the question of whether this is a simple collision, association or causation. Clinical trials or observational studies with sufficient power to prove this association between them were limited because of the relatively low frequency and slow disease process of both diseases. We aimed to determine whether there is a significant association between AAA and cancers using nationwide data. The patients aged > 50 years and diagnosed with AAA between 2002 and 2015, patients with heart failure (HF) and controls without an AAA or HF matched by age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors were enrolled from the national sample cohort from the National Health Insurance claims database of South Korea. The primary outcome was the prevalence rate of cancers in the participants with and without an AAA. The secondary outcome was cancer-related survival and cancer risk. Overall, 823 AAA patients (mean (standard deviation) age, 71.8 (9.4) years; 552 (67.1%) men) and matching 823 HF patients and 823 controls were identified. The prevalence of cancers was 45.2% (372/823), 41.7% (343/823) and 35.7% (294/823) in the AAA, HF and control groups, respectively; it was significantly higher in the AAA group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The risk of developing cancer was higher in the AAA patients than in the controls (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-1.86), p < 0.001) and in the HF patients (adjusted OR, 1.37 (1.24-1.86), p = 0.006). The cancer-related death rate was 2.64 times higher (95% CI, 2.22-3.13; p < 0.001) for the AAA patients and 1.63 times higher (95% CI, 1.37-1.92; p < 0.001) for the HF patients than for the controls. The most common causes of death in the AAA patients were cancer and cardiovascular disease. There was a significantly increased risk of cancer in the AAA than in the HF and control groups. Therefore, appropriate screening algorithms might be necessary for earlier detection of both diseases to improve long-term survival.

Pure T-cell mediated rejection following kidney transplant according to response to treatment.

The focus of studies on kidney transplantation (KT) has largely shifted from T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR) to antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). However, there are still cases of pure acute TCMR in histological reports, even after a long time following transplant. We thus evaluated the impact of pure TCMR on graft survival (GS) according to treatment response. We also performed molecular diagnosis using a molecular microscope diagnostic system on a separate group of 23 patients. A total of 63 patients were divided into non-responders (N = 22) and responders (N = 44). Non-response to rejection treatment was significantly associated with the following factors: glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at biopsy, ΔGFR, TCMR within one year, t score, and IF/TA score. We also found that non-responder vs. responder (OR = 3.31; P = 0.036) and lower GFR at biopsy (OR = 0.56; P = 0.026) were independent risk factors of graft failure. The responders had a significantly superior overall GS rate compared with the non-responders (P = 0.004). Molecular assessment showed a good correlation with histologic diagnosis in ABMR, but not in TCMR. Solitary TCMR was a significant risk factor of graft failure in patients who did not respond to rejection treatment.

Expression of miRNAs Targeting ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1 (ABCA1) among Patients with Significant Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Background: Carotid artery stenosis is a dynamic process associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, knowledge of biomarkers useful for identifying and quantifying high-risk carotid plaques associated with the increased incidence of cerebrovascular events is insufficient. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the expression of ATP binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) and validate its target microRNA (miRNA) candidates in human carotid stenosis arteries to identify its potential as a biomarker. Methods: In human carotid stenosis arterial tissues and plasma, the expression of ABCA1 and its target miRNAs (miRNA-33a-5p, 33b-5p, and 148a-3p) were evaluated by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The expression of ABCA1 was significantly decreased in the plasma of stenosis patients, but its expression was not different in arterial tissues (p < 0.05). However, significantly more target miRNAs were secreted by stenosis patients than normal patients (p < 0.05). Interestingly, lipotoxicity induced by the oleic and palmitic acid (OAPA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) dramatically enhanced the gene expression of adipogenic and inflammatory factors, whereas ABCA1 expression was significantly decreased. Conclusions: Therefore, miRNA-33a-5p, 33b-5p, and 148a-3p represent possible biomarkers of carotid artery stenosis by directly targeting ABCA1.

Third retransplantation using a whole liver graft for late graft failure from hepatic vein stent stenosis in a pediatric patient who underwent split liver retransplantation.

We present a case of third retransplantation using a whole liver graft in a 13-year-old girl who suffered graft failure and hepatopulmonary syndrome following split liver retransplantation with endovascular stenting of the hepatic and portal veins as an infant. She was diagnosed with biliary atresia-polysplenia syndrome, and thus underwent living donor liver transplantation from her mother at 9 months of age. The first liver graft failed due to stenosis of the portal vein. She underwent the second liver transplantation with a split left lateral section graft. Endovascular stenting was performed to the portal vein stenosis 2 months and hepatic vein stenosis 9 months after transplantation. During the next 9 years, 11 sessions of balloon angioplasty for hepatic vein stent stenosis were performed. Ten years after the second transplantation, she underwent third transplantation using a whole liver graft recovered from a 12-year-old-girl. The double inferior vena cava technique was used for outflow vein reconstruction. The graft portal vein was anastomosed with the stent-containing portal vein stump because it was not possible to remove the stent and the inner diameter of the portal vein stent was large enough. An aorto-hepatic jump graft was used for arterial reconstruction. The patient recovered slowly and is doing well for 6 months posttransplant. In conclusion, because stenting of the hepatic vein or portal vein can induce graft failure leading to late retransplantation, we emphasize secure vascular reconstruction to prevent endovascular stenting during LT in infants.