Sex-related prognostic value of systolic blood pressure on admission in critically ill patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

The present study aimed to evaluate sex-specific association between admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) and in-hospital prognosis in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). In this retrospective, observational study, 1268 ADHF patients requiring intensive care were consecutively enrolled and divided by sex. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to SBP tertiles: high (≥ 122 mmHg), moderate (104-121 mmHg) and low (< 104 mmHg). The primary endpoint was either all-cause mortality, cardiac arrest or utilization of mechanical support devices during hospitalization. Female patients were more likely to be older, have poorer renal function and higher ejection fractions (p < 0.001). The C statistics of SBP was 0.665 (95%CI 0.611-0.719, p < 0.001) for men and 0.548 (95% CI 0.461-0.634, p = 0.237) for women, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that admission SBP as either a continuous (OR = 0.984, 95% CI 0.973-0.996) or a categorical (low vs. high, OR = 3.293, 95% CI 1.610-6.732) variable was an independent predictor in male but the risk did not statistically differ between the moderate and high SBP strata (OR = 1.557, 95% CI 0.729-3.328). In female, neither low (OR = 1.135, 95% CI 0.328-3.924) nor moderate (OR = 0.989, 95% CI 0.277-3.531) SBP had a significant effect on primary endpoint compared with high SBP strata. No interaction was detected between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and SBP (p for interaction = 0.805). In ADHF patients admitted to ICU, SBP showed a sex-related prognostic effect on primary endpoint. In male, lower SBP was independently associated with an increased risk of primary endpoint. Conversely, in female, no relationship was observed.

A new scoring system for predicting short-term outcomes in Chinese patients with critically-ill acute decompensated heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) contributes millions of emergency department (ED) visits and it is associated with high in-hospital mortality. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multiparametric score for critically-ill ADHF patients. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective study, a total of 1268 ADHF patients in China were enrolled and divided into derivation (n = 1014) and validation (n = 254) cohorts. The primary endpoint was any in-hospital death, cardiac arrest or utilization of mechanical support devices. Logistic regression model was preformed to identify risk factors and build the new scoring system. The assigning point of each parameter was determined according to its ß coefficient. The discrimination was validated internally using C statistic and calibration was evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. RESULTS: We constructed a predictive score based on six significant risk factors [systolic blood pressure (SBP), white blood cell (WBC) count, hematocrit (HCT), total bilirubin (TBIL), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and NT-proBNP]. This new model was computed as (1 × SBP < 90 mmHg) + (2 × WBC > 9.2 × 109/L) + (1 × HCT ≤ 0.407) + (2 × TBIL > 34.2 µmol/L) + (2 × eGFR < 15 ml/min/1.73 m2) + (1 × NTproBNP ≥ 10728.9 ng/ml). The C statistic for the new score was 0.758 (95% CI 0.667-0.838) higher than APACHE II, AHEAD and ADHERE score. It also demonstrated good calibration for detecting high-risk patients in the validation cohort (χ2 = 6.681, p = 0.463). CONCLUSIONS: The new score including SBP, WBC, HCT, TBIL, eGFR and NT-proBNP might be used to predict short-term prognosis of Chinese critically-ill ADHF patients.

Elevated Plasma Big Endothelin-1 at Admission Is Associated With Poor Short-Term Outcomes in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between plasma big endothelin-1 (ET-1) at admission and short-term outcomes in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. Methods: In this single-center, retrospective study, a total of 746 ADHF patients were enrolled and divided into three groups according to baseline plasma big ET-1 levels: tertile 1 (<0.43 pmol/L, n = 250), tertile 2 (between 0.43 and 0.97 pmol/L, n = 252), and tertile 3 (>0.97 pmol/L, n = 244). The primary outcomes were all-cause death, cardiac arrest, or utilization of mechanical support devices during hospitalization. Logistic regression analysis and net reclassification improvement approach were applied to assess the predictive power of big ET-1 on short-term outcomes. Results: During hospitalization, 92 (12.3%) adverse events occurred. Etiology, arterial pH, lactic acid, total bilirubin, serum creatine, serum uric acid, presence of atrial fibrillation and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were positively correlated with plasma big ET-1 level, whereas systolic blood pressure, serum sodium, hemoglobin, albumin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were negatively correlated. In multivariate logistic regression, tertile 3 compared with tertile 1 had a 3.68-fold increased risk of adverse outcomes [odds ratio (OR) = 3.681, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.410-9.606, p = 0.008]. However, such adverse effect did not exist between tertile 2 and tertile 1 (OR = 0.953, 95% CI 0.314-2.986, p = 0.932). As a continuous variable, big ET-1 level was significantly associated with primary outcome (OR = 1.756, 95% CI 1.413-2.183, p < 0.001). The C statistic of baseline big ET-1 was 0.66 (95% CI 0.601-0.720, p < 0.001). Net reclassification index (NRI) analysis showed that big ET-1 provided additional predictive power when combining it to NT-proBNP (NRI = 0.593, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Elevated baseline big ET-1 is an independent predictor of short-term adverse events in ADHF patients and may provide valuable information for risk stratification.

Increased mortality in patients with secondary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation: Report from Chinese AF registry.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between mortality and the primary diagnosis in AF patients is poorly recognized. The purpose of the study is to compare the differences on mortality in patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of AF and to identify risk factors amenable to treatment. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study using data from the Chinese AF registry. For admitted patients, a follow-up was completed to obtain the outcomes during 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 2015 patients with confirmed AF were included. AF was the primary diagnosis in 40.9% (n = 825) of them. 78.9% (n = 939) of the secondary AF diagnosis patients and 55.5% (n = 458) of the primary AF diagnosis patients were sustained AF. Compared with primary AF diagnosis group, the secondary AF diagnosis group was older with more comorbidities. At 1 year, the unadjusted mortality was much higher in the secondary AF diagnosis groups compared with the primary AF diagnosis groups. In Cox regression analysis with adjustment for confounding factors, patients with secondary AF diagnosis were associated with an increased mortality (relative risk 1.723; 95% CI: 1.283 to 2.315, p < .001). On multivariate analysis, age ≥ 75, LVSD, COPD, and diabetes were independent predictors of mortality in patients with primary AF diagnosis, while for the secondary AF diagnosis group, the risk factors were age ≥ 75, heart failure, and previous history of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting to ED with secondary diagnosis of AF were suffering from higher mortality risks compared with primary AF diagnosis patients. Physicians should distinguish these two groups in clinical practice.

A novel phenotype with splicing mutation identified in a Chinese family with desminopathy.

BACKGROUND: Desminopathy, a hereditary myofibrillar myopathy, mainly results from the desmin gene (DES) mutations. Desminopathy involves various phenotypes, mainly including different cardiomyopathies, skeletal myopathy, and arrhythmia. Combined with genotype, it helps us precisely diagnose and treat for desminopathy. METHODS: Sanger sequencing was used to characterize DES variation, and then a minigene assay was used to verify the effect of splice-site mutation on pre-mRNA splicing. Phenotypes were analyzed based on clinical characteristics associated with desminopathy. RESULTS: A splicing mutation (c.735+1G>T) in DES was detected in the proband. A minigene assay revealed skipping of the whole exon 3 and transcription of abnormal pre-mRNA lacking 32 codons. Another affected family member who carried the identical mutation, was identified with a novel phenotype of desminopathy, non-compaction of ventricular myocardium. There were 2 different phenotypes varied in cardiomyopathy and skeletal myopathy among the 2 patients, but no significant correlation between genotype and phenotype was identified. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a novel phenotype with a splicing mutation in DES, enlarging the spectrum of phenotype in desminopathy. Molecular studies of desminopathy should promote our understanding of its pathogenesis and provide a precise molecular diagnosis of this disorder, facilitating clinical prevention and treatment at an early stage.

Comparison of 4 Admission Blood Pressure Indexes for Predicting 30-Day Mortality in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: We compared admission systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in predicting 30-day all-cause mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without cardiogenic shock. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 7,033 consecutive STEMI patients. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with a 10mm Hg increment and quartiles of each blood pressure were determined by Cox proportional hazard analyses; Wald χ (2) tests were used to compare the strength of relationships. RESULTS: Totally 593 (8.4%) patients died during follow-up. Of 4 indexes, only SBP (HR 0.94 per 10mm Hg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91 to 0.98; P = 0.001) and PP (HR 0.89 per 10 mmHg, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.94; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with 30-day all-cause mortality; these in the highest vs. lowest quartiles of SBP (≥140 vs. <110mm Hg) and PP (≥60 vs. <40mm Hg) had HRs of mortality of 0.70 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.87; P = 0.003) and 0.60 (95% CI 0.47 to 0.75; P < 0.001), respectively. Compared with SBP, PP was a better predictor for mortality no matter in men (χ (2) = 5.9 for per 10mm Hg, χ (2) = 10.8 for quartiles) or women (χ (2) = 15.1 for per 10mm Hg, χ (2) = 19.5 for quartiles), and the relationship remained significant after adjustment of SBP. There was a pattern of declining risk with increasing blood pressures for mortality, and this trend was mainly observed in age groups of more than 70 years. CONCLUSIONS: Pulse pressure was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with STEMI, and low admission blood pressure should serve as a warning sign.

One-Year Outcomes of Emergency Department Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective, Multicenter Registry in China.

There is lack of data about patient characteristics, practice patterns, and long-term adverse outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) attending emergency departments (EDs) in China. A total of 2016 patients from 20 representative EDs were included. During 1 year, all-cause mortality was 291 (14.6%) cases, stroke/noncentral nervous system systemic embolism rate was 159 (8.0%) cases, and major bleeding was 26 (1.3%) cases. Heart failure, the major cause of mortality, accounted for 43.0% of deaths. Of 375 (18.6%) patients who used warfarin at baseline, only 217 (57.9%) patients were still on anticoagulation therapy during 1-year follow-up. Compared with the patients who continued on warfarin, the mortality rate was higher in those who did not continue (15.9% vs 5.5%, P < .001). Patients seen in ED with AF appear to have a high incidence rate of long-term all-cause mortality and inadequate anticoagulation rate.

Comparison of the clinical features and outcomes in two age-groups of elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) disproportionately affects older adults. However, direct comparison of clinical features, medical therapy, and outcomes in AF patients aged 65-74 and ≥ 75 years is rare. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis in these two age-groups of geriatric patients with AF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,336 individuals aged ≥ 65 years from a Chinese AF registry were assessed in the present study: 570 were in the 65- to 74-year group, and 766 were in the ≥ 75-year group. Multivariable Cox hazards regression was performed to analyze the major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) between groups. RESULTS: In our population, the older group were more likely to have coronary artery disease, hypertension, previous stroke, cognitive disorder, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the 65- to 74-year group were more likely to have valvular heart disease, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, or sleep apnea. The older patients had 1.2-fold higher mean CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes, stroke) scores, but less probability of being prescribed drugs. Compared with those aged 65-74 years, the older group had a higher risk of death (hazard ratio 2.881, 95% confidence interval 1.981-4.189; P<0.001) or MACE (hazard ratio 2.202, 95% confidence interval 1.646-2.945; P<0.001) at the 1-year follow-up. In multivariable Cox analyses, secondary AF diagnosis, a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction were independent predictors of MACE in the older group. CONCLUSION: Patients aged ≥ 75 years had a worse prognosis than those aged 65-74 years, and were associated with a higher risk of both death and MACE.

Risk factors and incidence of stroke and MACE in Chinese atrial fibrillation patients presenting to emergency departments: a national wide database analysis.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary clinical risk stratification schemata for predicting stroke and thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are largely derived from western cohorts. The purpose of the present study is to assess the potential risk factors for stroke and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in a large population of Chinese AF patients presenting to emergency department. METHODS: The Chinese AF registry is a multicenter, prospective, observational study with 1 year follow up. Patients who presented to an emergency department with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter were recruited from November 2008 to October 2011. The MACE included all cause mortality, stroke, non-central nervous system systemic embolism and major bleed. RESULTS: A total of 2016 AF patients (1104 women) were included in the final analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk factors for stroke were female gender (1.419 (1.003-2.008), p=0.048), age ≥ 75 (2.576 (1.111-4.268), p<0.001), previous stroke/TIA (2.039 (1.415-2.939), p<0.001), LVSD (1.700 (1.015-2.848), p=0.044) and previous major bleeding (2.481 (1.141-5.397), p=0.022). For MACE, age ≥ 75 (3.042 (2.274-4.071), p<0.001), heart failure (1.371 (1.088-1.728), p=0.008), previous stroke/TIA (1.560 (1.244-1.957), p<0.001), LVSD (1.424 (1.089-1.862), p=0.010) and COPD (1.393 (1.080-1.798), p=0.011) were independent risk factors. History of hypertension and diabetes was not associated with the events, neither stroke nor MACE. For non-anticoagulation patients, the c-statistic for predicting stroke was 0.685 (0.637-0.732) and for MACE was 0.717 (0.687-0.746), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that, except for the traditional risk factors, clinicians should pay more attention to patients with prior major bleeding or COPD in Chinese AF patients presenting to emergency department.

Overweight is associated with improved survival and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) with mortality and cardiovascular events in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study consecutively enrolled AF patients presenting to an emergency department at 20 hospitals in China from November 2008 to October 2011. A total of 2,016 AF patients was enrolled, and patients were categorized as underweight (BMI <18.5), normal (BMI 18.5 to <24), overweight (BMI 24 to <28), and obese (BMI ≥ 28 all kg/m(2)). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used on all the patients. End points of the analyses were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and combined end events. Among overall patients, mean BMI was 23.5 ± 3.6 kg/m(2); 279 (13.8 %) patients died during 12-month follow-up, and so did 23.2 % underweight, 16.3, 9.5 and 9.2 % normal weight, overweight, and obese patients, respectively (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular mortality was 8.3% in all patients, and in underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese categories were 16.5, 9.0, 5.4 and 6.9 %, respectively (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, as continuous variable, BMI was not a risk factor for all-cause mortality in AF patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.91-0.97; P = 0.001). As categorical variable, underweight (HR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.02-2.42, P = 0.041) and normal weight (HR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.13-2.06, P = 0.005) categories were associated with higher all-cause mortality as compared with overweight category. Underweight (HR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.76-3.43, P = 0.011) and normal weight patients (HR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.03-2.28, P = 0.037) also had higher cardiovascular mortality as compared with the overweight category. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and overweight were not risk factors for 12-month mortality in Chinese AF patients. Overweight AF patients have better survival and outcomes than normal weight (BMI 18.5-24 kg/m(2)) and underweight patients.

Comparison of characteristics and short-term outcome from fungal infective endocarditis in prosthetic valve endocarditis versus native valve endocarditis.

Fungal infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare, serious, and potentially lethal disease, yet its clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes remain poorly understood. A detailed comparative analysis of fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and native valve endocarditis (NVE) has not been performed. This study was designed to explore the general characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with fungal IE in a Chinese hospital and compare these data between PVE and NVE. Four hundred ninety-three patients were admitted to Fuwai hospital from January 2002 to December 2010. Fungal IE accounted for 7% (32 cases) of cases. Of these patients, 19 (59%) patients had NVE, 12 (37%) PVE, and 1 (3%) cardiac device-related infective endocarditis (CDRIE). Candida albicans remained the predominant causative pathogen (47% of all IE). Patients with NVE, compared with PVE patients, were older (50 years vs 37 years, p = 0.034), had less frequent history of previous endocarditis (0 vs 25%, p = 0.049), and were more likely to have a history of diabetes (37% vs 0, p = 0.026) and be in an immunocompromised state (37% vs 0, p = 0.026). Nearly half of the patients died of refractory heart failure, followed by severe sepsis and stroke. In-hospital mortality rate was 38%, and the 3-month cumulative mortality rate was 47%. Recurrence of IE was more common in fungal PVE patients (42% vs 5%, p = 0.022) during the 90-day follow-up. In conclusion, fungal IE is associated with high mortality and recurrence rates. Surgery performed in selected cases may improve the outcomes, but the recurrence rate remains high.

Telmisartan, ramipril, or both in high-risk Chinese patients: analysis of ONTARGET China data.

BACKGROUND: The results from the ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) indicated that the angiotensin-receptor blocker telmisartan was not inferior to the angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor ramipril in reducing the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or hospitalization for congestive heart failure in high-risk patients, and telmisartan was associated with slightly superior tolerability. The combination of the two drugs was associated with more adverse events without an increase in benefit. This study aimed to analyze the data from ONTARGET obtained from a subgroup of patients enrolled in China and to evaluate the demographic and baseline characteristics, the compliance, efficacy, and safety of the different treatment strategies in randomized patients in China. METHODS: A total of 1159 high-risk patients were randomized into three treatment groups: with 390 assigned to receive 80 mg of telmisartan, 385 assigned to receive 10 mg of ramipril and 384 assigned to receive both study medications. The median follow-up period was 4.3 years. RESULTS: The mean age of Chinese patients was 65.6 years, 73.6% of patients were male. The proportion of patients with stroke/transient ischemic attacks at baseline in China was two times more than the entire study population (47.7% vs. 20.9%). In Chinese patients the proportion of permanent discontinuation of study medication due to cough was 0.5% in the telmisartan group, which was much less than that in the combination or the ramipril group. There were no significant differences in the incidence of primary outcome among three treatment groups of Chinese patients. More strokes occurred in Chinese patients than in the entire study population (8.5% vs. 4.5%). Greater systolic blood pressure reduction (-9.8 mmHg), and more renal function failure were noted in the combination treatment group than in the ramipril or telmisartan group (2.6% vs. 1.6% and 1.0%). CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence that the results of ONTARGET differed between Chinese patients and the entire study population with respect to the incidence of primary outcome, particularly safety. Compliance with study medications was good. The evidence from ONTARGET indicated that the treatment strategies in ONTARGET were applicable to patients in China.

[Clinical characteristics, treatments and outcome of diabetic patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes in China].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical characteristics, treatment options and outcome of diabetic patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS). METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted with NSTEACS from 38 centers in north China were enrolled. Medical histories, clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes were evaluated and follow-up was made at 6, 12, and 24 months after their initial hospital admission. Cumulative event rates were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. RESULTS: There were 420 diabetic patients out of 2294 NSTEACS patients (18.3%). Diabetic patients were older [(64.9 ± 6.7) years vs. (62.3 ± 8.6) years, P < 0.01], more often women (48.1% vs. 35.3%, P < 0.05) and were associated with higher baseline comorbidities such as previous hypertension, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and stroke than non-diabetic patients. The incidence of antiplatelet therapy (92.1% vs. 95.0%, P < 0.05), coronary angiography (30.0% vs. 36.3%, P < 0.05) and revascularization (12.1% vs.18.8%, P < 0.05) was lower in patients with diabetes than non-diabetic patients. In hospital and 2-year mortality as well as the incidence of congestive heart failure and composite outcomes of myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure and death were substantially higher in diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age ≥ 70 years, diabetes, previous myocardial infarction, previous congestive heart failure, systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) and heart rate more than 100 bpm at admission were risk factors for 2-year death. CONCLUSION: In NSTEACS, diabetes is associated with higher rate of in-hospital and 2-year death, congestive heart failure and composite outcomes of myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure and death. Diabetes mellitus is a major independent predictor of 2-year mortality post NSTEACS. Status of antiplatelet therapy, coronary angiography and revascularization should be improved for diabetic patients with NSTEACS during hospitalization.

[Influencing factors for the plasma concentration of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor in patients with heart failure due to various heart diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the plasma concentrations of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP) in patients with heart failure due to various heart diseases and analyze the influencing factors. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 804 heart failure patients due to various heart diseases, including valvular heart disease (VHD), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), ischemic heart diseases (IHD), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), hypertensive heart disease (HHD), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), pulmonary heart disease (PHD) and adult congenital heart disease (CHD). The plasma concentration of NT-proBNP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to detect the influencing factors for the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of NT-proBNP had no significant difference between patients with VHD, DCM, IHD, RCM, HCM, PHD, HHD and CHD. The median (25 percent, 75 percent) values were 1866 (803 - 3973), 2247 (1087 - 3865), 2400 (1182 - 4242), 2456 (1385 - 5839), 2204 (1053 - 3186), 2285 (1155 - 3424), 2313 (655 - 3850) and 2768 (795 - 4371) pmol/L respectively (P > 0.05). It increased with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class from II through III to IV. The median (25 percent, 75 percent) values were 646 (447 - 1015), 2160 (1118 - 3750) and 3342 (1549 - 5455) pmol/L respectively (P < 0.01). The patients with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/cm(2) had a lower NT-proBNP concentration than those with a BMI of < 25 kg/cm(2). The median (25 percent, 75 percent) values were 1468 (784 - 3177) and 2424 (1090 - 4213) pmol/L respectively (P < 0.01). Patients with a serum creatinine concentration of ≥ 107 µmol/L had a higher NT-proBNP concentration than those < 107 µmol/L. The median (25 percent, 75 percent) values were 3337 (1470 - 5380) and 1644 (781 - 3375) pmol/L respectively (P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that NYHA class, creatinine, BMI, hepatic damage and diastolic pressure were independently associated with the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The plasma concentration of NT-proBNP has no significant difference between heart failure patients due to various heart diseases. Its level may be affected by NYHA class, serum creatinine, BMI, hepatic damage and diastolic pressure.

[Value of admission NT-proBNP in predicting in-hospital mortality in decompensated systolic heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of NT-proBNP in predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated systolic heart failure. METHODS: Plasma NT-proBNP levels within 24 hours of admission were obtained in 366 patients with decompensated systolic heart failure. The levels were compared between dying patients in hospital and survival patients at discharge. ROC analyses were performed to evaluate if NT-proBNP was a predictor for in-hospital mortality and identify the optimal NT-proBNP cut-off point for predicting in-hospital mortality. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate if NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: 19 cases of the 366 patients died in hospital. NT-proBNP levels of the dying cases were much higher than those of the survivals 3970 (3452, 6934) pmol/L vs 2340 (1132, 4002) pmol/L respectively, P < 0.01). ROC analysis of NT-proBNP to predict in-hospital mortality had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.762 (95% CI: 0.657-0.857, P < 0.01), the optimal NT-proBNP cut-off point for predicting in-hospital mortality was 3500 pmol/L with a sensitivity of 73.7%, a specificity of 66.9%, an accuracy of 67.6% and a negative predictive value of 97.9%. Patients whose NT-proBNP levels were equal or more than 3500 pmol/L had an in-hospital mortality of 10.9%, compare with 2.1% in those NT-proBNP levels less than 3500 pmol/L (P < 0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated systolic heart failure (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Admission plasma NT-proBNP level is an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated systolic heart failure. The optimal NT-proBNP cut-off point for predicting in-hospital mortality is 3500 pmol/L.

[Predictive value of admission amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide on in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive value of admission plasma amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure. METHODS: Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured in patients with decompensated heart failure within 24 hours after admission with ELISA method. The NT-proBNP levels were compared between survivals and dying patients in hospital. ROC analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive value of admission plasma NT-proBNP on in-hospital mortality and to identify the optimal NT-proBNP cut-point for predicting in-hospital mortality. A binary logistic regress analyses was used to evaluate if NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 804 patients with decompensated heart failure were enrolled in his study (293 valvular heart diseases, 219 ischemic cardiomyopathy, 141 dilated cardiomyopathy, 14 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 21 restrictive cardiomyopathy, 39 hypertensive heart disease, 41 chronic pulmonary heart disease and 36 adult congenital heart disease) and 96 patients were in class II, 450 in class III and 258 in cases IV according to NYHA Classification. During hospitalization, 64 deaths were recorded and the on admission plasma NT-proBNP levels of patients died during hospitalization were significantly higher than those of survivals [4321.1 (3063.8, 6606.5) pmol/L vs. 1921.6 (873.9, 3739.2) pmol/L, P<0.01]. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of NT-proBNP to predict in-hospital death was 0.772 (95% CI: 0.718 - 0.825, P<0.01), the optimal plasma NT-proBNP cut-point for predicting in-hospital mortality was 3500 pmol/L, with a sensitivity of 70.3%, a specificity of 72.0%, an accuracy of 71.9%, a positive predictive value of 17. 8% and a negative predictive value of 96.6%. Patients whose NT-proBNP levels were equal or more than 3500 pmol/L had a much higher in-hospital mortality (17.8%) compared with those with NT-proBNP levels of less than 3500 pmol/L (3.4%), P<0.01. Binary logistic regress analyses demonstrated that admission plasma NT-proBNP, pneumonia, heart rate and NYHA class were independent predictors for in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure (P<0.05 or 0.01) and admission plasma NT-proBNP was the strongest predictor for in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Admission plasma NT-proBNP level was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure. The optimal NT-proBNP cut-point for predicting in-hospital mortality was 3500 pmol/L in this patient cohort.

Direct orthotopic transplantation of fresh surgical specimen preserves CD133+ tumor cells in clinically relevant mouse models of medulloblastoma and glioma.

Recent identification of cancer stem cells in medulloblastoma (MB) and high-grade glioma has stimulated an urgent need for animal models that will not only replicate the biology of these tumors, but also preserve their cancer stem cell pool. We hypothesize that direct injection of fresh surgical specimen of MB and high-grade glioma tissues into anatomically equivalent locations in immune-deficient mouse brains will facilitate the formation of clinically accurate xenograft tumors by allowing brain tumor stem cells, together with their non-stem tumor and stromal cells, to grow in a microenvironment that is the closest to human brains. Eight of the 14 MBs (57.1%) and two of the three high-grade gliomas (66.7%) in this study developed transplantable (up to 12 passages) xenografts in mouse cerebellum and cerebrum, respectively. These xenografts are patient specific, replicating the histopathologic, immunophenotypic, invasive/metastatic, and major genetic (analyzed with 10K single nucleotide polymorphism array) abnormalities of the original tumors. The xenograft tumor cells have also been successfully cryopreserved for long-term preservation of tumorigenicity, ensuring a sustained supply of the animal models. More importantly, the CD133(+) tumor cells, ranging from 0.2%-10.4%, were preserved in all the xenograft models following repeated orthotopic subtransplantations in vivo. The isolated CD133(+) tumor cells formed neurospheres and displayed multi-lineage differentiation capabilities in vitro. In summary, our study demonstrates that direct orthotopic transplantation of fresh primary tumor cells is a powerful approach in developing novel clinical relevant animal models that can reliably preserve CD133(+) tumor cell pools even during serial in vivo subtransplantations. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

[The Chinese registry on reperfusion strategies and outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current use of reperfusion strategies and the outcomes of patients with ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in China. METHODS: A total of 518 consecutive patients (371 male and 147 females, mean age 65 +/- 11) with ST elevation ACS or newly discovered left bundle branch block were registered from 20 hospitals from 5 regions (ranging from large regional centre hospitals to small county hospitals) in China. Patient general characteristics, reperfusion patterns and outcomes were analyzed. Patients were followed up for 3 months. RESULTS: The median time from pain onset to presentation at the hospital was 4 hours. Pre-hospital delay > 12 hours was found in 20% patients. Fifty-six percent patients (292/518) underwent reperfusion therapy (134 with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 158 with fibrinolysis). The median time from admission to reperfusion (door-to-needle) was 65 min in fibrinolysis group and 110 min (door-to-cath) in primary PCI group respectively. Urokinase was used in 67% (106/158) patients underwent fibrinolysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age >/= 75 years (P < 0.01), previous myocardial infarction (P < 0.01) and history of congestive heart failure (P < 0.05) were associated with no reperfusion therapy. Mortality and congestive heart failure rates were significantly higher in patients with no reperfusion therapy not only at discharge (P < 0.01) but also at 3 months (P < 0.01) compared to patients underwent reperfusion. The incidence of combined outcomes (death or MI, and death, MI or Strobe) was also higher in patients without reperfusion therapy at 3 months (all P < 0.01) compared to patients underwent reperfusion. There were no differences on combined outcomes between fibrinolysis and primary PCI subgroups. CONCLUSION: Reperfusion therapy was the primary treatment of choice to improve the outcomes of patients with ST elevation ACS. Strategies to increase reperfusion therapy rate for ST elevation ACS are urgently needed in China.