Platelets reflect the fate of type II endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: The management of type II endoleak (T2E) remains controversial because of the heterogeneous outcome. For blood-based screening to detect malignant T2E, we focused on platelets after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and compared them with the prognosis of T2Es. METHODS: From 2007 to 2015, there were 249 patients treated with EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysm who were evaluated retrospectively. The mean follow-up period was 3.5 ± 0.2 years. T2Es that had aneurysm sac enlargement or converted to type I or type III endoleak were defined as malignant; the other T2Es were considered benign. Cases without any complications, including T2E, were defined as completed. We compared the platelet count on postoperative days (PODs) 1 to 7 with preoperative baseline values among the three groups. Sequentially, we calculated the cutoff of the platelet ratio on POD 7 to the baseline value in relation to malignant T2E using receiver operating characteristic analysis, and the cutoff ratio was 113% (sensitivity, 79%; specificity, 58%). We then reclassified T2E patients into T2E-high platelet (T2E-HP; ≥113%) or T2E-low platelet (T2E-LP; <113%) groups. The influence of platelets on T2E was evaluated with reintervention rate and cumulative aneurysm sac enlargement rate using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: T2Es were found in 70 patients (28%), and 179 patients were assigned to the completed group. Malignant and benign T2Es were found in 33 and 37 patients, respectively. No difference was found in the preoperative baseline values. On POD 7, the platelet count in the malignant T2E group was significantly lower than that in the completed and benign T2E groups (168 × 103/µL vs 207 × 103/µL and 201 × 103/µL; P = .0124). Then, 27 and 43 patients were assigned to the T2E-HP and T2E-LP groups, respectively. The reintervention-free survival rate in the T2E-LP group was lower than that in the completed group (at 3 years, 66.4% ± 8.0% vs 71.9% ± 4.0%; P = .0031). Among T2E patients, the cumulative aneurysm sac enlargement rates in the T2E-LP group were significantly higher than those in the T2E-HP group (at 3 years, 34.6% ± 8.2% vs 20.6% ± 8.2%; P = .0105). Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis for the cumulative aneurysm sac enlargement rates among T2E patients showed that sex, dual antiplatelet therapy, and lower platelet ratio (<113%) were significant predictors; multivariate analysis showed that T2E-LP was the only significant predictor (hazard ratio, 2.60; P = .0355). CONCLUSIONS: The platelet count of patients with malignant T2Es on POD 7 was definitively lower than that of patients with completed EVAR or with benign T2Es. The lower platelet count on POD 7 could be a risk factor for aneurysm sac enlargement among patients with T2Es.

High intramuscular adipose tissue content as a precondition of sarcopenia in patients with aortic aneurysm.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenia is a major problem of the elderly. Although little is known about the cause of sarcopenia, the intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) is known to be a cause of sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of IMAC as a cause of sarcopenia. METHODS: We evaluated patients who underwent aneurysm repair and were monitored preoperatively and 3 years postoperatively by computed tomography (CT). The skeletal muscle area and IMAC were measured on preoperative L3 CT images. The clinical characteristics and risk factors for skeletal muscle wasting were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 155 patients, 38 (24.5%) had > 10% skeletal muscle wasting 3 years after the operation. Patients with > 10% skeletal muscle wasting had higher IMACs of the iliopsoas (- 0.31 ± 0.01 vs. -0.45 ± 0.01, P < 0.001) muscles and higher rates of cerebrovascular infarctions (7.7 vs. 23.7%, P = 0.0068), lung cancer (0 vs. 10.5%, P < 0.001), and urgent operations (0.9 vs. 10.5%, P = 0.029) and a longer postoperative fasting period (1.3 ± 0.1 vs. 3.1 ± 0.9 days, P < 0.001) than those without > 10% skeletal muscle wasting. The IMAC of the iliopsoas muscle correlated strongly with skeletal muscle wasting (P < 0.05, r = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: A high IMAC of the iliopsoas muscle may cause sarcopenia and thus be a clinical target in disease prevention.

[Chronic type A aortic dissection associated with Turner syndrome; report of a case].

Aortic dissection is a critical but rare complication of Turner syndrome. This report describes a case of chronic aortic dissection in a patient with Turner syndrome. A 54-year-old woman, suffering from mild back pain for 1 month, was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of Stanford type A chronic aortic dissection and a bicuspid aortic valve with moderate regurgitation. Computed tomography revealed aortic dissection, involving all arch branches, extending from the ascending to the abdominal aorta. The true lumen of the brachial artery was nearly obstructed by the thrombosed false lumen. Elective aortic arch repair and aortic valve replacement were successfully performed. The patient was diagnosed with 45, XO Turner syndrome after surgery. Taking aortopathy of Turner syndrome into consideration, surveillance of the residual aorta was performed. No rapidly progressive dilatation of the residual aorta was detected during the 6 years' follow-up.

In vivo reduction of the nuclear factor-kappaB activity using synthetic cis-element decoy oligonucleotides suppresses intimal hyperplasia in the injured carotid arteries in rabbits.

PURPOSE: Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a critical role in inflammation-related reactions, and is also found in the injured arterial wall. The purpose of this study was to introduce synthetic double-stranded cis-element "decoy" oligonucleotides (ODNs) into the arterial wall using the hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) liposome, and to investigate the inhibitory potential of decoy ODN against balloon injury-induced intimal hyperplasia by reducing NF-kappaB activity. METHODS: Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled decoy ODNs using the HVJ-liposome method were tranfected in balloon-injured rabbit carotid arteries. We then performed electrophoretic mobility shift assay to examine NF-kappaB activity using balloon-injured arteries, and we introduced NF-kappaB decoy into balloon-injured arteries. RESULTS: Transfection of FITC-labeled decoy ODNs by using the HVJ-liposome method demonstrated highly efficient protein expression with diffuse, frequent, and widespread nuclear signals over the entire medial layer, while the same amount of naked ODNs showed much less efficiency with scattered distribution of fluorescence in balloon-injured carotid arteries. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed activation of NF-kappaB in balloon-injured arteries. In vivo transfection of decoy ODNs mediated by HVJ liposome abolished the NF-kappaB activity in injured arteries with specific binding affinity to NF-kappaB protein. Intimal hyperplasia of carotid artery after balloon injury was reduced by approximately 50% by NF-kappaB decoy transfection compared with buffer treatment or scrambled decoy transfection. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated involvement of NF-kappaB in intimal formation after arterial injury, and indicated that NF-kappaB can be an appropriate molecular target for anti-restenosis therapy.

Risk factors for morbidity and mortality following abdominal surgery in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Major surgery in patients on maintenance hemodialysis is associated with an increased incidence of postoperative complications. We conducted the retrospective study to identify risk factors for morbidity and mortality after abdominal surgery in hemodialysis patients. METHODOLOGY: Subjects were 28 consecutive patients on maintenance hemodialysis who underwent abdominal surgery for gastrointestinal disease. They were classified into two groups according to the presence (n = 11) or absence (n = 17) of postoperative complications. Clinical, laboratory, and operative data were obtained from medical records and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Overall morbidity and mortality rates were 39% (11/28) and 14% (4/28), respectively. The most frequent morbidity was wound complication (6/28). There were statistically significant differences between the patients with and without postoperative complications in the blood urea nitrogen concentration (41.6 vs. 27.5 mg/dL, P < 0.05), total protein level (5.8 vs. 6.9 g/dL, P < 0.01), and hematocrit level (25.7 us. 31.1%, P < 0.05). There were four hospital deaths. All four patients underwent emergency surgery for perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. CONCLUSIONS: A poor surgical outcome after abdominal surgery in patients on maintenance hemodialysis was associated with a high concentration of blood urea nitrogen, hypoproteinemia, severe anemia, and emergency surgery. These factors should be considered in the perioperative management of chronic hemodialysis patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Prognostic value of microvessel density in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

BACKGROUND: Although the prognostic value of microvessel density (MVD) has been studied in breast cancer, the results still remain controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Paraffin embedded sections of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast were immunohistochemically stained for factor VIII- related antigen in 252 patients with a median follow-up duration of 7.0 years. MVD quantification of the three most vascular areas at a magnification of x 200 was performed. RESULTS: The 252 patients were stratified into high and low MVD groups according to a cut-off value that was the upper one-third MVD value of all patients. The patients with a high MVD had a significantly worse outcome in terms of both disease free survival (DFS) (p< 0.0001) and overall survival (OS) (p= 0.0012) compared with those with a low MVD. The same effects were seen in patients with lymph node negative as well as positive breast cancer. Multivariate analyses indicated the nodal status, nuclear grade and MVD (p= 0.0001) to be independent prognostic factors for the DFS, while the nodal status, estrogen receptor status, tumor size and MVD (p= 0.0006) were independent prognostic factors for the OS. CONCLUSION: MVD was found to be an independent prognostic indicator of recurrence and death for breast cancer, and is therefore considered to be a useful factor for selecting high risk patients to receive adjuvant therapies.

Administration of a decoy against the activator protein-1 binding site suppresses neointimal thickening in rabbit balloon-injured arteries.

BACKGROUND: Transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) is activated and upregulated in injured arterial smooth muscle cells in vivo, yet the exact role of the AP-1--related pathway in vascular disease in vivo has remained unclear. We examined the role of the transfer of synthetic double-stranded cis-element decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) in balloon-injured rabbit carotid arteries and the effects of these ODNs on neointimal thickening. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transfection of fluorescein isothiocyanate--labeled ODNs using the hemagglutinating virus of Japan liposome method resulted in widespread distribution of fluorescent nuclear signals over the entire medial layer in injured arteries. Gel mobility shift assay revealed that AP-1 DNA binding was activated and that the AP-1 decoy reduced AP-1 DNA binding activity as a result of specific binding affinity to AP-1 in vivo. In morphometric analyses, AP-1 decoy led to a significant reduction in the neointimal area and a significant reduction in cell number and transforming growth factor-beta(1) production of human aortic smooth muscle cells under conditions of platelet-derived growth factor stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Because AP-1 decoy transfection in vivo dramatically prevented neointimal thickening in balloon-injured arteries, AP-1 may be a useful molecular target for gene therapy to reduce restenosis.

Differences in endothelial function and morphologic modulation between canine autogenous venous and arterial grafts: endothelium and intimal thickening.

BACKGROUND: Late graft failure is still a problem for vascular surgeons. A previous study showed superior patency of arterial grafts compared with venous grafts. In this review we discuss the differences in functional and morphologic modulation of experimental autogenous venous and arterial grafts. RESULTS: In canine venous grafts, the endothelium of the graft was denuded and recovered within 3 or 4 weeks. In contrast, in arterial grafts, denudation of the endothelium was minimal, and no platelet adherence was observed. Instead, nearly normal intact endothelial cell surface had covered the intima within 3 days after grafting. The histologic findings for arterial grafts thus were quite different from those for venous grafts. Different responses to flow changes between venous and arterial grafts were observed. In the venous grafts, pronounced intimal thickening was associated with impairment of endothelial responses, whereas in the arterial grafts, intact endothelial function and no intimal thickening were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The intact endothelial function and absence of intimal thickening under the arterial grafts may explain the superior patency of autogenous arterial grafts in comparison with venous grafts.

Comparison of the long-term results between surgical and conservative treatment in patients with intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: The optional therapeutic strategy for patients with intermittent claudication remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the influence of surgical and conservative therapies on improving the quality of life in patients with intermittent claudication. METHODS: We analyzed 427 patients who were admitted to our hospital with intermittent claudication in their legs during a 15-year period from January 1984 to December 1999. We separated them into 2 groups; 259 patients (362 legs) were treated surgically and 168 patients were treated conservatively. RESULTS: At the suprainguinal and infrainguinal (above knee) region, the surgery group showed significantly better rate of improvement than did the conservative group, but in the infrainguinal (below knee) region, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. The 3-year and 5-year patency rates for the arterial reconstruction of the suprainguinal and infrainguinal region was satisfactory, but that of the infrainguinal region was not very good even if an auto vein graft was used. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive surgical treatment is therefore recommended in patients whose distal anastomotic region is above the knee, because there are great benefits from surgical reconstruction. However, in patients whose distal anastomotic region is below the knee, conservative treatment might be just as effective as surgery.

Solitary fibrous tumor in the retroperitoneal space: report of a case.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are spindle-cell neoplasms originally described in the pleura. It is now known that these tumors can develop in many sites. This report describes the case of a well-circumscribed tumor located around the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), which was initially thought to be either a superior SMA aneurysm, a lymphoma, or a neurogenic tumor. Histological examination demonstrated the tumor to be composed of a cellular proliferation of ovoid to spindle cells with a fine collagenous matrix in the short fascicles. Immunohistochemical staining was strongly positive for CD34 and negative for factor VIII, cytokeratin, desmin, and muscle-specific actin (HHF-35). These findings suggested a diagnosis of SFT in the retroperitoneal space. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an SFT located around the SMA. Based on the above findings, it is important to include SFT in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumors located around the SMA.