Cambios en la selección e impacto potencial de los inhibidores de neprilisina y del receptor de la angiotensina en los pacientes sometidos a reparación mitral percutánea borde a borde / Temporal trend and potential impact of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors on transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair

Introducción y objetivos: En insuficiencia cardiaca persistente con insuficiencia mitral (IM) secundaria se debe considerar la reparación transcatéter borde-a-borde (TEER) de la válvula mitral. Los inhibidores de neprilisina (ARNIs) demostraron mejorar el pronóstico en insuficiencia cardiaca. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar el impacto de los ARNIs en la selección y resultados. Métodos: La población del registro nacional de TEER (marzo/2012-enero/2021) se dividió en 2 grupos: a) TEER pre-ARNI (n=450) y b) TEER una vez que los ARNIs se recomendaron en guías europeas (n=639), teniendo en cuenta si se prescribieron (n=52) o no (n=587). Resultados: Un total de 1.089 pacientes consecutivos se sometieron a TEER para el tratamiento de la IM. Presentaron menor tamaño ventricular izquierdo (100 frente a 82mL, p=0,025) y mejor función (35 frente a 38%, p=0,011) en la era ARNI. A los 2 años, la mortalidad (10,6 frente a 17,3%, p <0,001) y los ingresos por insuficiencia cardiaca (16,6 frente a 27,8%, p <0,001) fueron menores, pero no la recurrencia de IM. En la era ARNI, la mortalidad fue comparable independientemente de la prescripción de ARNIs, pero tuvieron menor tasa de muerte+re-hospitalización a 2 años (OR=0,369, IC95%, 0,137-0,992, p=0,048), mejor NYHA y menor recurrencia de IM (1,9 frente al 14,3%, p=0,011). Conclusiones: Se observó una mejor selección y resultados en candidatos a TEER en la era ARNI y su prescripción se asoció a una reducción significativa de eventos globales, mejor NYHA y menor recurrencia de la IM.(AU)

Introduction and objectives: Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) should be considered in patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR). Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs) have been demonstrated to improve prognosis in heart failure. We aimed to evaluate the impact ARNIs on patient selection and outcomes. Methods: The population of the Spanish TEER prospective registry (March 2012 to January 2021) was divided into 2 groups: a) TEER before the ARNI era (n=450) and b) TEER after the recommendation of ARNIs by European Guidelines (n=639), with further analysis according to intake (n=52) or not (n=587) of ARNIs. Results: A total of 1089 consecutive patients underwent TEER for secondary MR. In the ARNI era, there was a reduction in left ventricle dilation (82mL vs 100mL, P=.025), and better function (35% vs 38%, P=.011). At 2 years of follow-up, mortality (10.6% vs 17.3%, P <.001) and heart failure readmissions (16.6% vs 27.8%, P <.001) were lower in the ARNI era, but not recurrent MR. In the ARNI era, 1- and 2-year mortality were similar irrespective of ARNI intake but patients on ARNIs had a lower risk of readmission+mortality at 2 years (OR, 0.369; 95%CI, 0.137-0.992; P=.048), better NYHA class, and lower recurrence of MR III-IV (1.9% vs 14.3%, P=.011). Conclusions: Better patient selection for TEER has been achieved in the last few years with a parallel improvement in outcomes. The use of ARNIs was associated with a significant reduction in overall events, better NYHA class, and lower MR recurrence.(AU)

Dengue Virus Induces the Release of sCD40L and Changes in Levels of Membranal CD42b and CD40L Molecules in Human Platelets.

Platelets are considered as significant players in innate and adaptive immune responses. The adhesion molecules they express, including P-selectin, CD40L, and CD42b, facilitate interactions with many cellular effectors. Upon interacting with a pathogen, platelets rapidly express and enhance their adhesion molecules, and secrete cytokines and chemokines. A similar phenomenon occurs after exposure of platelets to thrombin, an agonist extensively used for in vitro activation of these cells. It was recently reported that the dengue virus not only interacts with platelets but possibly infects them, which triggers an increased expression of adhesion molecule P-selectin as well as secretion of IL-1ß. In the present study, surface molecules of platelets like CD40L, CD42b, CD62P, and MHC class I were evaluated at 4 h of interaction with dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), finding that DENV-2 induced a sharp rise in the membrane expression of all these molecules. At 2 and 4 h of DENV-2 stimulation of platelets, a significantly greater secretion of soluble CD40L (sCD40L) was found (versus basal levels) as well as cytokines such as GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α. Compared to basal, DENV-2 elicited more than two-fold increase in these cytokines. Compared to the thrombin-induced response, the level generated by DENV-2 was much higher for GM-CSF, IL-6, and TNF-α. All these events induced by DENV end up in conspicuous morphological changes observed in platelets by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, very different from those elicited by thrombin in a more physiological scenery.

Association DENV1 and DENV2 infection with high serum levels of soluble thrombomodulin and VEGF in patients with dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.

INFECTION BY DENGUE VIRUS (DENV) CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC OR MANIFEST IN TWO CLINICALLY DIFFERENTIATED FORMS: dengue fever (DF) and denguehemorrhagic fever (DHF). The principal pathophysiological characteristic of DHF is the increase in vascular permeability and the loss of plasma caused by the malfunction of the vascular endothelium that induces the release of chemical mediators. However, so far there is nothing that allows for the identification the patients that are at risk of developing the more severe form of the illness. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the serum levels of soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and VEGF with the severity of dengue and the viral serotype. 231 serum samples were analyzed, 70 DF, 80 DHF and 81 control group, all were residents of Guerrero state in Mexico. The infection by dengue virus as well and the levels of sTM and VEGF were determined using the ELISA sandwich, while the serotype was determined by real time RT-PCR. Our results show that the concentrations of sTM correlate with the degree of severity of the disease given that they are significantly higher (p<0.001) in the DHF group (median = 10.2 ng/mL) than in the DF group (median = 7.2 ng/mL), and these in turn higher than those of the control group (median = 3.3 ng/mL). The concentration of sTM was significantly higher (p=0.0002) in the patients infected with DENV2. For the VEGF, the highest levels were found in DF (median = 291.3 pg/mL) and did not correlate with the severity of the disease. In conclusion, our results indicate that sTM is a good marker for the severity of the infection by DENV, better than VEGF, and with higher sensibility and specificity.