Ramucirumab for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in the current real world: a Japanese single-arm study post-REACH-2 (The R-evolution study).

This study aimed to complement the results of the REACH-2 study by prospectively evaluating the safety and efficacy of ramucirumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a real-world setting. This was an open-label, nonrandomized, multicenter, prospective study conducted at 13 institutions in Japan (jRCTs031190236). The study included Child-Pugh Class A patients with advanced HCC who had received pretreatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) or lenvatinib. Ramucirumab was introduced as a second-line treatment after Atez/Bev or lenvatinib and as a third-line treatment after Atez/Bev and lenvatinib. Between May 2020 and July 2022, we enrolled 19 patients, including 17 who received ramucirumab. Additionally, seven patients received lenvatinib, another seven patients received Atez/Bev, and three patients received Atez/Bev followed by lenvatinib as prior treatment. The primary endpoint was a 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate, which was 14.3%. The median PFS and overall survival were 3.7 and 12.0 months, respectively. The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs) were hypertension (23.5%), proteinuria (17.6%), and neutropenia (11.8%). The discontinuation rate due to AEs was 29.4%. Six patients progressed from Child-Pugh A to B after treatment with ramucirumab. Thirteen patients were eligible for post-ramucirumab treatment, including systemic therapy. Despite the limited number of patients, the efficacy of ramucirumab was comparable to that observed in the REACH-2 study when used after lenvatinib and Atez/Bev. However, the incidence of AEs was higher than that in the REACH-2 study.

A Novel Sirolimus-Coated Balloon for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Lesions: The SELUTION SFA Japan Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) for the treatment of femoropopliteal (FP) lesions have not been systematically studied, but initial outcomes from early studies are promising. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the SELUTION SLR SCB, composed of proprietary microreservoir technology combining sirolimus and biodegradable polymer, when used to treat mild-to-moderate FP disease in a Japanese population. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, single-arm study (SELUTION SFA JAPAN) enrolled 134 patients with FP disease. It was independently adjudicated by an imaging core laboratory and clinical events committee. The primary endpoint was 12-month primary patency, defined as peak systolic velocity ratio ≥2.5 by duplex ultrasound and compared against a prespecified performance goal of 60% based on established angioplasty data. RESULTS: The mean age was 73.8 ± 6.9 years, and 60.3% of patients had diabetes mellitus. The mean lesion length was 127.4 ± 59.7 mm, 17.2% were chronic total occlusions, and 47.8% involved the popliteal artery. Data on 12-month restenosis were available in 127 patients (94.8%). The 12-month primary patency rate was 87.9%, and the freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) was 97.0% per Kaplan-Meier estimate. The major adverse event rate was 6.7%, driven by 4 CD-TLRs and 5 deaths, none of which were related to the device or procedure. Ankle-brachial index data improved significantly from 0.73 ± 0.16 at baseline to 0.96 ± 0.14 at 30 days postprocedure and was sustained through 12 months (0.94 ± 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The SELUTION SFA JAPAN trial demonstrated that a novel SELUTION SCB is a safe and effective treatment option for FP disease in symptomatic patients.

Long-term imaging analysis of a myocarditis case: Utilizing strain with echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings.

Herein, we report a case of myocarditis in a 27-year-old male with long-term follow-up using longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) measurements with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). On admission, a predominant decrease was observed in the LPSS in the posterolateral segments of the TTE. After a period of two weeks, the values of the LPSS observed in the posterolateral segments were still slightly reduced, which is consistent with the LGE results in CMR. After a duration of 16 months, an improvement was noted in the LPSS and LGE results in all the segments. Moreover, a time-phase discrepancy was observed in the segmental longitudinal strain curve for a period of two weeks from the onset of myocarditis. However, an improvement in the discrepancy was detected after 16 months. Learning objective: Longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has predominantly focused on diagnosing the acute phase of myocarditis. Herein, LPSS was evaluated not only in the acute phase but also in the chronic phase. Furthermore, the relationship between the results of segmental LPSS and late gadolinium enhancement was documented. We would like to emphasize the usefulness of LPSS on TTE both for identifying myocarditis and as a tool for the long-term follow-up of patients.

Twenty-Four-Month Safety and Effectiveness of TCD-17187 Drug-Coated Balloon for Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in Superficial Femoral and Proximal Popliteal Artery.

PURPOSE: In the present trial, the 24-month safety and effectiveness of the TCD-17187 drug-coated balloon (DCB) for the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and proximal popliteal artery (PA) were evaluated in Japanese patients. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, core laboratory-adjudicated, single-arm trial. From 2019 to 2020, 121 patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease were enrolled. The primary effectiveness outcome measure was primary patency. The safety outcome measure was the major adverse event (MAE) rate. RESULTS: Age was 74.5 ± 7.3 years, and diabetes mellitus was present in 67.5%. Lesion length and reference vessel diameter (RVD) were 106.0 ± 52.6 mm and 5.2 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. Chronic total occlusion (CTO) and bilateral calcification rate (Grade 3 and 4 by peripheral arterial calcium scoring system (PACSS)) were 17.5% and 50.8%, respectively. The 24-month primary patency rate by duplex ultrasound was 71.3%, while freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) was 87.0%. The MAE rate was 13.2% and all events consisted of CD-TLR. There were no instances of device- or procedure-related deaths major amputations throughout the 24 months. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed significant differences associated with loss of primary patency in the following characteristics: CTO, restenotic lesion and RVD. CONCLUSION: This trial confirmed the safety and effectiveness of TCD-17187 DCB for atherosclerotic lesions of the SFA and/or proximal PA for up to 24 months. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3, Cohort study. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr.cgi?function=brows&action=brows&recptno=R000038612&type=summary&language=J:Registration ID: UMIN000034122. Registration Date: September 13, 2018.

Efficacy and Safety of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants for Japanese Patients With Venous Thromboembolism　- The Primary Results From the KUROSIO Study.

BACKGROUND: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are recommended as the first-choice anticoagulation therapy in the acute phase of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, there is limited real-world data for Japanese VTE patients.Methods and Results: The KUROSIO study (UMIN000023747) was a prospective long-term observational study comprising 1,017 patients with concurrent acute symptomatic pulmonary thromboembolism and proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or isolated calf DVT initially treated with DOACs. After excluding 24 patients, 993 (mean age, 66.3±15.1 years; 58.6% females) were analyzed. The incidences of recurrent symptomatic VTE and major bleeding for up to 52 weeks after diagnosis were 3.2% and 2.2%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed chemotherapy and anemia as significant risk factors associated with recurrent symptomatic VTE and major bleeding, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy and safety of DOACs in Japanese patients with VTE were determined in this real-world observational study.

Antithrombotic therapy for stable coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation in patients with and without revascularisation: the AFIRE trial.

BACKGROUND: The Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events with Rivaroxaban in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease (AFIRE) trial demonstrated non-inferior efficacy endpoints for rivaroxaban monotherapy versus combination therapy (rivaroxaban plus a single antiplatelet) and superior safety endpoints in patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary artery disease. AIMS: This post hoc analysis investigated whether the AFIRE trial results reflected the presence or absence of prior revascularisation. METHODS: Among 2,215 patients, 1,697 (76.6%) had previously undergone revascularisation, and the remaining 518 (23.4%) had not undergone prior revascularisation. The primary efficacy endpoint was a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, unstable angina requiring revascularisation, or death from any cause, while the primary safety endpoint was major bleeding. RESULTS: In 1,697 patients with prior revascularisation, the efficacy and safety endpoints were superior for monotherapy versus combination therapy (efficacy: hazard ratio [HR] 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.85; p=0.003; safety: HR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-0.98; p=0.042). Among 518 without prior revascularisation, there were no significant differences in endpoints (efficacy: HR 1.19, 95% CI: 0.67-2.12; p=0.554; safety: HR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.18-1.26; p=0.134). There was borderline interaction of the efficacy endpoints (p=0.055) between two treatments. The safety benefit of monotherapy on any bleeding was significant in patients without prior revascularisation (HR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.38-0.93; p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: In high-risk thrombosis patients with a history of prior revascularisation, rivaroxaban monotherapy versus combination therapy demonstrated favourable safety and efficacy outcomes.

Clinical risk factors for portal hypertension-related complications in systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: During systemic therapy, the management of portal hypertension (PH)-related complications is vital. This study aimed to clarify factors associated with the incidence and exacerbation of PH-related complications, including the usefulness of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in the management of PH-related complications during systemic therapy. METHODS: A total of 669 patients who received systemic therapy as first-line treatment (443 patients for sorafenib, 131 for lenvatinib, and 90 for atezolizumab/bevacizumab [ATZ/BEV]) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Additionally, the lower esophageal intramural vessel diameters (EIV) on CECT and endoscopic findings in 358 patients were compared. RESULTS: The cutoff values of the EIV diameter on CECT were 3.1 mm for small, 5.1 mm for medium, and 7.6 mm for large varices, demonstrating high concordance with the endoscopic findings. esophageal varices (EV) bleeding predictors include EIV ≥ 3.1 mm and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). In patients without EV before systemic therapy, factors associated with EV exacerbation after 3 months were EIV ≥ 1.9 mm and ATZ/BEV use. Predictors of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) include the ammonia level or portosystemic shunt diameter ≥ 6.8 mm. The incidence of HE within 2 weeks was significantly higher (18%) in patients with an ammonia level ≥ 73 µmol/L and a portosystemic shunt ≥ 6.8 mm. The exacerbating factors for ascites after 3 months were PVTT and low albumin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Careful management is warranted for patients with risk factors for exacerbation of PH-related complications; moreover, the effective use of CECT is clinically important.

Impact of High-Voltage Device Implantation in Elderly Japanese Patients With Heart Failure as Primary Prevention　- Post Hoc Analysis of HINODE.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increased incidence of chronic heart failure (HF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is much lower in Japan than in Western countries. The HF Indication and SCD Prevention Trial Japan (HINODE) prospectively assessed the mortality rate, appropriately treated ventricular arrhythmias (VA), and HF in Japanese patients with a higher risk of HF.Methods and Results: HINODE consisted of ICD, CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D), pacing, and non-device treatment cohorts. This subanalysis evaluated the impact of the implantation of high-voltage devices (HVD; ICD and CRT-D) in 171 Japanese patients. We compared all-cause mortality, VA, and HF events between elderly (age >70 years at study enrollment) and non-elderly HVD recipients. The estimated survival rate through 24 months in the HVD cohort was 85.8% (97.5% lower control limit 77.6%). The risk of all-cause mortality was increased for the elderly vs. non-elderly (hazard ratio [HR] 2.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-7.91; P=0.039), but did not differ after excluding ICD patients with CRT-D indication (HR 2.32; 95% CI 0.79-6.78; P=0.11). There were no differences in VA and HF event-free rates between elderly and non-elderly HVD recipients (P=0.73 and P=0.55, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although elderly patients may have a higher risk of mortality in general, the benefit of HVD therapy in this group is comparable to that in non-elderly patients.

Comparison of the Pre-Established and Finally Selected Treatment Strategies for Endovascular Treatment in Femoropopliteal Artery Lesions.

This study aimed to compare lower limb events associated with preplanned and finally selected treatment strategies-the validity and usefulness of the physician-chosen strategy were verified.We examined the data of 1003 patients in the registry of multicenter endovascular treatment for superficial femoral and popliteal artery disease study and prospectively enrolled patients who underwent endovascular treatment (EVT) of the femoropopliteal (FP) artery between February 2017 and June 2018 from 67 Japanese institutes. The outcome measures were major adverse limb events (MALE) and target vessel revascularization.The EVT strategies were classified into balloon angioplasty-alone (37.3%), primary stenting (26.7%), and provisional stenting (36.0%) groups. In the initial strategy analysis for the balloon angioplasty-alone, primary stenting, and provisional stenting groups, two-year rates of freedom from MALE (95% confidence interval) were 0.680 (0.620-0.732), 0.754 (0.688-0.808), and 0.798 (0.746-0.840), respectively. Additionally, the rate of MALE was significantly higher among patients in the balloon angioplasty-alone group than among those in the primary or provisional stenting groups in the initial strategy analysis (P = 0.007). Changes in treatment strategy were more frequent in the primary stenting group than in the other groups. Furthermore, the rate of MALE did not significantly differ among the three groups in the final strategy analysis (P = 0.56).Limb outcomes for the final applied strategy did not differ among the three strategies. Additionally, the physician's selection bias was mostly appropriate in the EVT of the FP artery.

The Absorb GT1 Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold System　- 5-Year Post-Market Surveillance Study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The 1-year clinical outcomes of the Absorb GT1 Japan post-market surveillance (PMS) suggested that an appropriate intracoronary imaging-guided bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation technique may reduce the risk of target lesion failure (TLF) and scaffold thrombosis (ST) associated with the Absorb GT1 BVS. The long-term outcomes through 5 years are now available.Methods and Results: This study enrolled 135 consecutive patients (n=139 lesions) with ischemic heart disease in whom percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the Absorb GT1 BVS was attempted. Adequate lesion preparation, imaging-guided appropriate sizing, and high-pressure post-dilatation using a non-compliant balloon were strongly encouraged. All patients had at least 1 Absorb GT1 successfully implanted at the index procedure. Intracoronary imaging was performed in all patients (optical coherence tomography: 127/139 [91.4%] lesions) and adherence to the implantation technique recommendations was excellent: predilatation, 100% (139/139) lesions; post-dilatation, 98.6% (137/139) lesions; mean (±SD) post-dilatation pressure, 18.8±3.5 atm. At 5 years, the follow-up rate was 87.4% (118/135). No definite/probable ST was reported through 5 years. The cumulative TLF rate was 5.1% (6/118), including 2 cardiac deaths, 1 target vessel-attributable myocardial infarction, and 3 ischemia-driven target lesion revascularizations. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate intracoronary imaging-guided BVS implantation, including the proactive use of pre- and post-balloon dilatation during implantation may be beneficial, reducing the risk of TLF and ST through 5 years.

Coronary events in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a prespecified sub-analysis of the ANAFIE registry.

Real-world data on coronary events (CE) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are lacking in the direct oral anticoagulant era. This prespecified sub-analysis of the ANAFIE Registry, a prospective observational study in > 30,000 Japanese patients aged ≥ 75 years with non-valvular AF (NVAF), investigated CE incidence and risk factors. The incidence and risk factors for new-onset CE (a composite of myocardial infarction [MI] and cardiac intervention for coronary heart diseases other than MI), MI, and cardiac intervention for coronary heart diseases other than MI during the 2-year follow-up were assessed. Bleeding events in CE patients were also examined. Among 32,275 patients, the incidence rate per 100 patient-years was 0.48 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42-0.53) for CE during the 2-year follow-up, 0.20 (0.16-0.23) for MI, and 0.29 (0.25-0.33) for cardiac intervention for coronary heart diseases other than MI; that of stroke/systemic embolism was 1.62 (1.52-1.73). Patients with CE (n = 287) likely had lower creatinine clearance (CrCL) and higher CHADS2 and HAS-BLED scores than patients without CE (n = 31,988). Significant risk factors associated with new-onset CE were male sex, systolic blood pressure of ≥ 130 mmHg, diabetes mellitus (glycated hemoglobin ≥ 6.0%), CE history, antiplatelet agent use, and CrCL < 50 mL/min. Major bleeding incidence was significantly higher in patients with new-onset CE vs without CE (odds ratio [95% CI], 3.35 [2.06-5.43]). In elderly patients with NVAF, CE incidence was lower than stroke/systemic embolism incidence. New-onset CE (vs no CE) was associated with a higher incidence of major bleeding.Trial registration: UMIN000024006.

Exploratory Biomarker Analysis Using Plasma Angiogenesis-Related Factors and Cell-Free DNA in the TRUSTY Study: A Randomized, Phase II/III Study of Trifluridine/Tipiracil Plus Bevacizumab as Second-Line Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The TRUSTY study evaluated the efficacy of second-line trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) plus bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). OBJECTIVE: This exploratory biomarker analysis of TRUSTY investigated the relationship between baseline plasma concentrations of angiogenesis-related factors and cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and the efficacy of FTD/TPI plus bevacizumab in patients with mCRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The disease control rate (DCR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between baseline plasma samples of patients with high and low plasma concentrations (based on the median value) of angiogenesis-related factors. Correlations between cfDNA concentrations and PFS were assessed. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics (n = 65) were as follows: male/female, 35/30; median age, 64 (range 25-84) years; and RAS status wild-type/mutant, 29/36. Patients in the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-low and interleukin (IL)-8-low groups had a significantly higher DCR (risk ratio [95% confidence intervals {CIs}]) than patients in the HGF-high (1.83 [1.12-2.98]) and IL-8-high (1.70 [1.02-2.82]) groups. PFS (hazard ratio {HR} [95% CI]) was significantly longer in patients in the HGF-low (0.33 [0.14-0.79]), IL-8-low (0.31 [0.14-0.70]), IL-6-low (0.19 [0.07-0.50]), osteopontin-low (0.39 [0.17-0.88]), thrombospondin-2-low (0.42 [0.18-0.98]), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1-low (0.26 [0.10-0.67]) groups versus those having corresponding high plasma concentrations of these angiogenesis-related factors. No correlation was observed between cfDNA concentration and PFS. CONCLUSION: Low baseline plasma concentrations of HGF and IL-8 may predict better DCR and PFS in patients with mCRC receiving FTD/TPI plus bevacizumab, however further studies are warranted. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: jRCTs031180122.

Geographic disparity of pathophysiological coronary artery disease characteristics: Insights from ASET trials.

BACKGROUND: The geographical disparity in the pathophysiological pattern of coronary artery disease (CAD) among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the geographical variance in the pathophysiological characteristics of CAD. METHODS: Physiological indices derived from angiography-based fractional flow reserve pullbacks from patients with chronic coronary syndrome enrolled in the ASET Japan (n = 206) and ASET Brazil (n = 201) studies, which shared the same eligibility criteria, were analysed. The pathophysiological patterns of CAD were characterised using Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (µQFR)-derived indices acquired from pre-PCI angiograms. The diffuseness of CAD was defined by the µQFR pullback pressure gradient index. RESULTS: Significant functional stenoses pre-PCI (µQFR ≤0.80) were more frequent in ASET Japan compared to ASET Brazil (89.9% vs. 67.5%, p < 0.001), as were rates of a post-PCI µQFR <0.91 (22.1% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.013). In the multivariable analysis, pre-procedural µQFR and diffuse disease were independent factors for predicting a post-PCI µQFR <0.91, which contributed to the different rates of post-PCI µQFR ≥0.91 between the studies. Among vessels with a post-PCI µQFR <0.91, a consistent diffuse pattern of CAD pre- and post-PCI occurred in 78.3% and 76.7% of patients in ASET Japan and Brazil, respectively; only 6.3% (Japan) and 10.0% (Brazil) of vessels had a major residual gradient. Independent risk factors for diffuse disease were diabetes mellitus in ASET Japan, and age and male gender in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: There was geographic disparity in pre-procedural angiography-based pathophysiological characteristics. The combined pre-procedural physiological assessment of vessel µQFR and diffuseness of CAD may potentially identify patients who will benefit most from PCI.

One-year safety and effectiveness of the Agent paclitaxel-coated balloon for the treatment of small vessel disease and in-stent restenosis.

The Agent device consists of a semi-compliant balloon catheter, which is coated with a therapeutic low-dose formulation of paclitaxel (2 µg/mm2) blended with an inactive excipient acetyl-tri-n-butyl citrate (ATBC). AGENT Japan SV is a randomized controlled study that enrolled 150 patients from 14 Japanese sites treated with Agent or SeQuent Please paclitaxel-coated balloon. This study also includes a single-arm substudy evaluating the safety and effectiveness of Agent in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). Patients with a single de novo native lesion (lesion length ≤ 28 mm and reference diameter ≥ 2.00 to < 3.00 mm) were randomized 2:1 to receive either Agent (n = 101) or SeQuent Please (n = 49). The ISR substudy enrolled 30 patients with lesion length ≤ 28 mm and reference diameter ≥ 2.00 to ≤ 4.00 mm. In the SV RCT, target lesion failure (TLF) at 1 year occurred in four patients treated with Agent (4.0%) versus one patient with SeQuent Please (2.0%; P = 1.00). None of the patients in either treatment arm died. There were no significant differences in the rates of myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization and target lesion thrombosis through 1 year. In the ISR substudy, the 1-year rates of TLF and target lesion thrombosis were 6.7% and 0.0%, respectively. These data support the safety and effectiveness of the Agent paclitaxel-coated balloon in patients with small vessels and ISR.

Preprocedural physiological assessment of coronary disease patterns to predict haemodynamic outcomes post-PCI.

BACKGROUND: Even with intracoronary imaging-guided stent optimisation, suboptimal haemodynamic outcomes post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be related to residual lesions in non-stented segments. Preprocedural assessment of pathophysiological coronary artery disease (CAD) patterns could help predict the physiological response to PCI. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between preprocedural pathophysiological haemodynamic patterns and intracoronary imaging findings, as well as their association with physiological outcomes immediately post-PCI. METHODS: Data from 206 patients with chronic coronary syndrome enrolled in the ASET-JAPAN study were analysed. Pathophysiological CAD patterns were characterised using Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (µQFR)-derived indices acquired from pre-PCI angiograms. The diffuseness of CAD was defined by the pullback pressure gradient (PPG) index. Intracoronary imaging in stented segments after stent optimisation was also analysed. RESULTS: In the multivariable analysis, diffuse disease - defined by the pre-PCI µQFR-PPG index - was an independent factor for predicting a post-PCI µQFR <0.91 (per 0.1 decrease of PPG index, odds ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.34; p=0.022), whereas the stent expansion index (EI) was not associated with a suboptimal post-PCI µQFR. Among vessels with an EI ≥80% and post-PCI µQFR <0.91, 84.0% of those vessels had a diffuse pattern preprocedure. There was no significant difference in EI between vessels with diffuse disease and those with focal disease. The average plaque burden in the stented segment was significantly larger in vessels with a preprocedural diffuse CAD pattern. CONCLUSIONS: A physiological diffuse pattern preprocedure was an independent factor in predicting unfavourable immediate haemodynamic outcomes post-PCI, even after stent optimisation using intracoronary imaging. Preprocedural assessment of CAD patterns could identify patients who are likely to exhibit superior immediate haemodynamic outcomes following PCI.

Impact of Preprocedural Frailty Status in Elderly Transvenous Pacemaker Recipients.

The number of TV-PM implantations in elderly people is increasing. Although frailty syndrome is common in elderly patients, the relationship between the pre-procedural frailty status and clinical outcomes has not been fully elucidated in elderly TV-PM recipients.This study included 103 consecutive patients over 80 years old who were newly implanted with a TV-PM (age 85.7 ± 4.2, 41.7% male). We assessed the relationship between the clinical outcome and predictive factors, especially for the pre-procedural frailty status after the TV-PM implantation. The pre-procedural frailty status was retrospectively assessed from the medical records and classified on the basis of impairments in 3 domains (walking, cognition, and activities of daily living). The primary endpoint was defined as a heart failure admission.During the follow-up period (4.1 ± 2.3 years), 20 patients (19.4%) met the primary endpoint. Frailty syndrome was identified in 40 patients (38.8%). In univariate analysis, the LVEF (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-1.00 P = 0.0492), an RV pacing burden over 40% (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.00-2.54 P = 0.0473), and presence of a frailty status (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.13-2.87 P = 0.0134) were found to be statistically significant predictors for the study endpoint. In multivariate analysis, having frailty syndrome was the only predictive factor for a heart failure admission (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.12-2.93 P = 0.0157).The presence of frailty syndrome and incidence of clinical events were high and a pre-procedural frailty status assessment was key in determining the clinical outcomes in TV-PM recipients over 80 years old.

A Prospective Study Exploring the Safety and Efficacy of Lenvatinib for Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma and High Tumor Burden: The LAUNCH Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib in real-world settings, including patients excluded from the REFLECT trial, a phase III trial that compared lenvatinib with sorafenib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label prospective study was conducted at 10 medical facilities in Japan (jRCTs031190017). Eligible patients had advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and were suitable for lenvatinib therapy. The study included patients with high tumor burden (with >50% intrahepatic tumor volume, main portal vein invasion, or bile duct invasion), Child-Pugh B status, and receiving lenvatinib as second-line therapy following atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. RESULTS: From December 2019 to September 2021, 59 patients were analyzed (47 and 12 patients with Child-Pugh A and B, respectively). In patients with Child-Pugh A, the frequency of aspartate aminotransferase elevation was high (72.7%) in the high-burden group. No other significant ad verse events (AE) were observed even in second-line treatment. However, patients with Child-Pugh B had high incidence of grade ≥3 AE (100.0%) and high discontinuation rates caused by AE (33.3%) compared with patients with Child-Pugh A (80.9% and 17.0%, respectively). Median progression-free survival was 6.4 and 2.5 months and median overall survival was 19.7 and 4.1 months in Child-Pugh A and B, respectively. Lenvatinib plasma concentration was higher in patients with Child-Pugh B on days 8 and 15 and correlated with dose modifications and lower relative dose intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Lenvatinib is safe and effective for advanced HCC in patients with Child-Pugh A, even with high tumor burden. However, it carries a higher risk of AE and may not provide adequate efficacy for patients with Child-Pugh B status.

Primary results of the SAVAL randomized trial of a paclitaxel-eluting nitinol stent versus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in infrapopliteal arteries.

BACKGROUND: Effective and durable options for infrapopliteal artery revascularization for patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) are limited. METHODS: The SAVAL trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial of patients with CLTI and infrapopliteal artery lesions with total lesion length ⩽ 140 mm, stenosis ⩾ 70%, and Rutherford category 4-5 assigned 2:1 to treatment with the SAVAL self-expandable paclitaxel drug-eluting stent (DES) or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with an uncoated balloon. The primary effectiveness endpoint was primary vessel patency (i.e., core lab-adjudicated duplex ultrasound-based flow at 12 months in the absence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization or surgical bypass of the target lesion). The primary safety endpoint was the 12-month major adverse event (MAE)-free rate; MAEs were defined as a composite of above-ankle index limb amputation, major reintervention, and 30-day mortality. The endpoints were prespecified for superiority (effectiveness) and noninferiority (safety) at a one-sided significance level of 2.5%. RESULTS: A total of 201 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment (N = 130 DES, N = 71 PTA). Target lesion length was 68.1 ± 35.2 mm for the DES group and 68.7 ± 49.2 mm for the PTA group, and 31.0% and 27.6% of patients, respectively, had occlusions. The 12-month primary patency rates were 68.0% for the DES group and 76.0% for the PTA group (Psuperiority = 0.8552). The MAE-free rates were 91.6% and 95.3%, respectively (Pnoninferiority = 0.0433). CONCLUSION: The SAVAL trial did not show benefit related to effectiveness and safety with the nitinol DES compared with PTA in infrapopliteal artery lesions up to 140 mm in length. Continued innovation to provide optimal treatments for CLTI is needed. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03551496).

Thrombocytopenia as a Bleeding Risk Factor in Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Artery Disease: Insights From the AFIRE Study.

Background Thrombocytopenia poses a risk of bleeding in patients with chronic coronary syndrome after coronary intervention. However, whether thrombocytopenia also increases the bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic coronary syndrome remains unclear. Methods and Results This study evaluated the AFIRE (Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events With Rivaroxaban in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease) trial. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelet count <100 000/mm3 level at enrollment. Primary end points included incidence of major bleeding based on the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis criterion and major adverse cardiovascular ischemic events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stroke). A total of 2133 patients were classified into the thrombocytopenia (n=70) and nonthrombocytopenia (n=2063) groups. Major bleeding was significantly higher in the thrombocytopenia group than in the nonthrombocytopenia group (10.0% versus 4.1%, P=0.027). The thrombocytopenia group tended to have a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular ischemic events (11.4% versus 6.2%, P=0.08). The bleeding incidence was significantly higher in patients with thrombocytopenia receiving combination therapy with rivaroxaban and a single antiplatelet drug (thrombocytopenia group, 14.3%, versus nonthrombocytopenia group, 5.0%; hazard ratio, 3.18 [95% CI, 1.27-7.97], P=0.014). Thrombocytopenia was an independent predictor of major bleeding (hazard ratio, 2.57 [95% CI, 1.19-5.56], P=0.017). Conclusions Among patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic coronary syndrome, thrombocytopenia was significantly associated with increased risk of major bleeding. Selecting drugs for patients with thrombocytopenia continuing antithrombotic therapy should be given special consideration. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02642419. https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; Unique identifier: UMIN000016612.

Oral Iron Absorption of Ferric Citrate Hydrate and Hepcidin-25 in Hemodialysis Patients: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Riona-Oral Iron Absorption Trial.

Oral ferric citrate hydrate (FCH) is effective for iron deficiencies in hemodialysis patients; however, how iron balance in the body affects iron absorption in the intestinal tract remains unclear. This prospective observational study (Riona-Oral Iron Absorption Trial, R-OIAT, UMIN 000031406) was conducted at 42 hemodialysis centers in Japan, wherein 268 hemodialysis patients without inflammation were enrolled and treated with a fixed amount of FCH for 6 months. We assessed the predictive value of hepcidin-25 for iron absorption and iron shift between ferritin (FTN) and red blood cells (RBCs) following FCH therapy. Serum iron changes at 2 h (ΔFe2h) after FCH ingestion were evaluated as iron absorption. The primary outcome was the quantitative delineation of iron variables with respect to ΔFe2h, and the secondary outcome was the description of the predictors of the body's iron balance. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to identify the determinants of iron absorption during each phase of FCH treatment. ΔFe2h increased when hepcidin-25 and TSAT decreased (-0.459, -0.643 to -0.276, p = 0.000; -0.648, -1.099 to -0.197, p = 0.005, respectively) in GEEs. FTN increased when RBCs decreased (-1.392, -1.749 to -1.035, p = 0.000) and hepcidin-25 increased (0.297, 0.239 to 0.355, p = 0.000). Limiting erythropoiesis to maintain hemoglobin levels induces RBC reduction in hemodialysis patients, resulting in increased hepcidin-25 and FTN levels. Hepcidin-25 production may prompt an iron shift from RBC iron to FTN iron, inhibiting iron absorption even with continued FCH intake.