Evaluation of the Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, C-Reactive Protein-Albumin Ratio, and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with the Co-Presentation of Coronary Artery Disease and COVID-19.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein-albumin ratio (CAR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in the prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) complicated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This study included 265 patients. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to preliminarily evaluate the predictive ability of NLR, CAR, and PLR for all-cause death. The primary outcome was all-cause death during hospitalization, while the secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death and respiratory failure death. The Cox proportional hazard model with adjusted covariates was used to analyze the cumulative risk of outcomes. We also conducted subgroup analyses based on the acute and chronic characteristics of CAD. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to further evaluate the robustness of the primary outcome. Results: The ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under curve (AUC) values were 0.686 (95% CI 0.592-0.781, P<0.001) for NLR, 0.749 (95% CI 0.667-0.832, P<0.001) for CAR, and 0.571 (95% CI 0.455-0.687, P=0.232) for PLR. The Cox proportional hazard model showed that trends in NLR and PLR did not affect the risk of all-cause death (P=0.096 and P=0.544 for trend, respectively), but a higher CAR level corresponded to a higher risk of all-cause death (P<0.001 for trend). Similarly, The trends of NLR and PLR did not affect the risk of cardiovascular death and respiratory failure death, while a higher CAR level corresponded to a higher risk of cardiovascular death and respiratory failure death. The results of subgroup analyses and PSM were consistent with the total cohort. Conclusion: In patients with CAD complicated with COVID-19, a higher CAR level corresponded to a higher risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and respiratory failure death, while trends in NLR and PLR did not.

The impact of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio and glomerular filtration rate on long-term mortality in patients with heart failure: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The urinary albumin‒creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are important markers of renal dysfunction, but few studies have simultaneously examined their impact on long-term mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included patients with HF from the National Health and Nutrition Survey from 1999 to 2018. The fully adjusted Cox proportional risk model was adopted, and propensity score matching (PSM) was also used for risk adjustment. Among 988 patients, a median follow-up of 7.75 years was recorded. A higher UACR corresponded to a higher risk of cardiovascular death (P < 0.001 for trend). No statistically significant difference was found in the trend of eGFR risk stratification on the risk of cardiovascular death (P = 0.09 for trend). After PSM, the results showed that when grouped by UACR, the high-risk group had a higher risk of cardiovascular death regardless of a cutoff value of 30 or 300 mg/g (all P < 0.05). When grouped by eGFR, regardless of a cutoff value of 45 or 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, compared to the low-risk group, the high-risk group did not have a statistically significant increase in cardiovascular death (P = 0.086 and P = 0.093, respectively). The subgroup analysis of the main outcome showed an interaction between the UACR and eGFR (P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Both the UACR and eGFR are markers for predicting the progression of HF, but the UACR may be a more important indicator than the eGFR, and they synergistically and complementarily reflect the long-term cardiovascular risk of HF patients.

Transcriptomic study reveals changes of lncRNAs in PBMCs from HIV-1 patients before and after ART.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in regulating HIV-1 infection and virus-host interactions. However, it is unclear whether and how ART alters lncRNAs in HIV-infected patients. In the present study, we investigated changes of lncRNAs in PBMCs from HIV-1 patients pre- and post-ART. We identified a total of 974 lncRNAs whose expression was restored to normal levels after ART. Cis-acting analysis showed that six lncRNAs have cis-regulated target genes, among which RP11-290F5.1 and interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2) were reported to promote HIV replication. Furthermore, we found that lncRNA CTB-119C2.1, which regulates most mRNAs with differential expression in PBMCs from HIV-1 infected patients after ART, was significantly upregulated by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR assays. KEGG analysis of CTB-119C2.1-associated genes revealed that most of the genes are involved in the p53 signaling pathway and pathways related to cell cycle and DNA replication. Our findings thus reveal the dynamic change of lncRNAs in people living with HIV-1 pre- and post-ART and warrant further investigation of the role of lncRNAs in HIV-1 pathogenesis and treatment.

The effects of ART on the dynamics of lipid profiles in Chinese Han HIV-infected patients: comparison between NRTI/NNRTI and NRTI/INSTI.

Introduction: This article aimed to compare the prevalence of dyslipidemia and determine risk factors associated with lipid levels in a cohort of HIV-infected patients receiving two different antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor/non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI/NNRTI) and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor/integrase strand transfer inhibitor (NRTI/INSTI). Methods: This longitudinal study analyzed 633 HIV-infected patients with complete blood lipid profile records for at least 1 year at the ART clinic of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, China, from June 2018 to March 2021. Demographic and clinical data, including age, gender, body weight, height, current/former/non-smoker, current drinker, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, were extracted from electronic medical records. Laboratory tests included hematology, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Lipoprotein(a) and CD4 cell count. The observation duration of this study was a maximum of 33 months. Data comparisons were performed using the Chi-square test, Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) and value of p < 0.05 were used to determine factors associated with serum lipid profiles. Results: In this study, the effect of the NNRTIs group on the lipid profile over time was mainly an increase in TC and HDL-C, while a decrease in TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C. However, the INSTIs group had higher mean TC and lower HDL-C compared to the NNRTIs group, with significantly increased levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C. In the analysis of dyslipidemia rates, there were significant differences in the prevalence of abnormal TG and TC/HDL-C in HIV-infected patients receiving two different ART regimen groups during different follow-up periods. Dyslipidemia, defined as hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C, was more prevalent in the INSTIs group, with a higher risk of developing hypertriglyceridemia and a higher TC/HDL-C ratio compared to the NNRTIs group. GLMM analysis suggested significantly higher TG values in the INSTIs group (estimated 0.36[0.10, 0.63], SE 0.14, p = 0.008) compared to the NNRTIs group, even after adjusting for other covariates. In addition, GLMM analysis also showed that age, gender, BMI, CD4 count, and ART duration were associated with dyslipidemia. Conclusion: In conclusion, treatment with both commonly-used ART regimens can increase the mean values of lipid profiles and the risk of dyslipidemia. The findings indicated that TG values were significantly higher in the INSTIs group than in HIV-infected patients receiving the NNRTIs regimens. Longitudinal TG values are independently associated with the clinical types of ART regimens.Clinical Trial Number: ChiCTR2200059861.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing versus traditional laboratory methods for the diagnosis of central nervous system opportunistic infections in HIV-infected Chinese adults.

To evaluate clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who had CNS disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 48 PLWHA presenting with CNS disorders were sequenced using mNGS and compared with clinical conventional diagnostic methods. In total, 36/48 ss(75%) patients were diagnosed with pathogen(s) infection by mNGS, and the positive detection proportion by mNGS was higher than that by clinical conventional diagnostic methods (75% vs 52.1%, X2 = 5.441, P = 0.020). Thirteen out of 48 patients (27.1%) were detected with 3-7 pathogens by mNGS. Moreover, 77 pathogen strains were detected, of which 94.8% (73/77) by mNGS and 37.0% (30/77) by clinical conventional methods (X2 = 54.206, P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of pathogens detection by mNGS were 63.9% (23/36) and 66.7% (8/12), respectively, which were superior to that by clinical conventional methods (23/36 vs 9/25, X2 = 4.601, P = 0.032; 8/12 vs 5/23, X2 = 5.029, P = 0.009). The application of mNGS was superior for its ability to detect a variety of unknown pathogens and multiple pathogens infection, and relatively higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of CNS disorders in PLWHA.

The Importance of Integrated Regulation Mechanism of Coronary Microvascular Function for Maintaining the Stability of Coronary Microcirculation: An Easily Overlooked Perspective.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) refers to a group of disorders affecting the structure and function of coronary microcirculation and is associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. At present, great progress has been made in the diagnosis of CMD, but there is no specific treatment for it because of the complexity of CMD pathogenesis. Vascular dysfunction is one of the important causes of CMD, but previous reviews mostly considered microvascular dysfunction as a whole abnormality so the obtained conclusions are skewed. The coronary microvascular function is co-regulated by multiple mechanisms, and the mechanisms by which microvessels of different luminal diameters are regulated vary. The main purpose of this review is to revisit the mechanisms by which coronary microvessels at different diameters regulate coronary microcirculation through integrated sequential activation and briefly discuss the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment progress of CMD from this perspective.

Malnutrition is Associated with an Increased Risk of Death in Hospitalized Patients with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Propensity Score Matched Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether nutrition levels in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) affect their risk of all-cause mortality during hospitalization and to further evaluate the predictive ability of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Body Mass Index (BMI) for risk of all-cause mortality. Methods: Patients from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 were retrieved, and a total of 1847 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed for risk adjustment, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive ability of GNRI and BMI for all-cause mortality. Results: Malnourished TB patients were older, had more congestive heart failure, and had more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. Under the nutrition level grouping defined by GNRI, the all-cause mortality in the malnourished group did not appear to reach a statistical difference compared with the nonmalnourished group (P = 0.078). When grouped by level of nutrition as defined by BMI, the all-cause mortality was higher in the malnourished group (P = 0.009), and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that malnutrition was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. After propensity score matching, the results showed that the all-cause mortality was higher in the malnutrition group, regardless of BMI or GNRI defined nutrition level grouping, compared with the control group (both P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.811 ([95% confidence interval (CI) 0.701-0.922], P < 0.001) for GNRI and 0.728 ([95% CI 0.588-0.869], P = 0.001) for BMI. Conclusion: In the clinical treatment of patients with active TB, more attention should be paid to the management of nutritional risk. GNRI may be a highly effective and easy method for predicting short-term outcomes in patients with active pulmonary TB.

Risk Assessment of Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events and Bleeding for Acute Myocardial Infarction With or Without Active Tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: The underlying ischemic and bleeding risks of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with active tuberculosis (TB) are unknown. The goal of this study was to explore the ischemic and bleeding risks, as well as treatment strategies during hospitalization, in patients with AMI with or without active TB. METHODS: Patients were recruited from a tuberculosis hospital from 2014 to 2021. The primary outcomes were major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACE) and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC)-defined type 3 or 5 bleeding. Multivariate logistic regression and propensity score matching were performed for risk adjustment. Subgroups were defined according to AMI with active pulmonary TB and AMI with active TB undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). FINDINGS: A total of 242 patients were enrolled. Compared with AMI without active TB, AMI with active TB had a higher risk of MACE and BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with AMI without active TB, the odds ratio (OR) was 6.513 (95% CI, 2.195-19.331) for MACE in patients with AMI with active TB, and the OR was 16.074 (95% CI 3.337-77.436) for BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding in patients with AMI with active TB. After propensity score matching, AMI with active TB tended to increase the risk of MACE, although not statistically significantly (P = 0.189), and increased BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding (P < 0.001), compared with AMI without active TB. Results of subgroup analyses showed that active TB had outcomes consistent with those of the total cohort. AMI patients with active pulmonary TB who underwent PCI had a lower risk of MACE without an increase in the risk of bleeding compared with those not undergoing PCI. IMPLICATIONS: Patients with AMI with active TB have a higher risk of MACE (or severe MACE) and bleeding than patients with AMI without active TB. However, AMI patients with active TB are still advised to undergo PCI for a high net clinical benefit.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chronic Kidney Disease in People Living with HIV in a Resource-Limited Center of Central China.

Clinical management and optimal treatment are essential to improving outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH). We assessed trends and outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in PLWH in a resource-limited center of central China. All PLWH who were followed up in a tertiary referral center in Wuhan, China, from July 2016 to June 2021 were evaluated. CKD was defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 during two consecutive measurements 3 months apart. Baseline characteristics of the participants were extracted from the hospital medical records. The prevalence rate and associated risk factors of CKD were analyzed. A total of 863 PLWH with normal kidney function at baseline were analyzed. The median age was 33 (interquartile ranges: 26-49) years, and 778 (90.2%) were male and 85 (9.8%) were female. Among them, 50 (5.8%) had their GFR falling below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 after a median of 54 months. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression revealed older age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01-1.07], female sex (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.14-8.84), lower body weight (aOR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-1.00), lower hemoglobin (aOR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.51-8.30), longer duration of antiretroviral therapy exposure (aOR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04), and a baseline GFR between 60 and 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 (aOR = 3.89, 95% CI: 1.21-12.46) were associated with the development of CKD. Our findings showed that CKD is not infrequent in PLWH with a combination of traditional and HIV-specific risk factors for kidney disease, highlighting the suboptimal monitoring and treatment options of CKD in PLWH in resource-limited settings. Scalable monitoring strategy to improve care for this population is warranted.

Short- and long-term effects of antiretroviral therapy on peripheral regulatory CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in people living with HIV/AIDS.

The effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte changes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is still a matter of debate. From October 2015 to December 2019, peripheral blood from 70 cases of PLWHA were collected for the detection of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was performed to detect changes of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in patients with different duration of ART and different treatment effects. We found that the number of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in ART-naive PLWHA were lower than those in healthy volunteers (10.3±Ù¦.Ù  cells/uL vs 31.7±8.0 cells/uL, P < 0.05). CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts increased to 17.8±Ù¤.Ù  cells/uL 6 months post-ART and 25.0±Ù¡Ù¡.Ù© cells/uL 9 months post-ART, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts between PLWHA who reached a complete immune reconstruction after ART and healthy volunteers. The growth of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts in patients who had baseline CD4 > 200 cells/uL was greater than those who had baseline CD4 ≤ 200 cells/uL (12.6±Ù¤.Ù¦ cells/uL vs 5.6±Ù¥.Ù  cells/uL, P = 0.027). CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts were positively correlated with CD4+ T lymphocyte counts (r = 0.923, P < 0.001) and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (r = 0.741, P < 0.001), but were negatively correlated with HIV-VL (r = -0.648, P = 0.000). In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that changes in CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts can be used to assess the effect of ART in PLWHA.

Secondary prevention of antithrombotic therapy in patients with stable cardiovascular disease at high ischemic risk: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Aims: Antithrombotic secondary prevention in stable cardiovascular disease (SCVD) patients at high ischemic risk remains unclear. We compared the efficacy and safety of aspirin monotherapy, clopidogrel monotherapy, ticagrelor monotherapy, rivaroxaban monotherapy, clopidogrel plus aspirin, ticagrelor plus aspirin, and rivaroxaban plus aspirin in the high-risk ischemic cohorts. Methods and results: Eleven randomized controlled trials were included (n = 111737). The primary outcomes were major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACEs) and major bleeding. A random effects model was used for frequentist network meta-analysis. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% credible intervals (CI) were reported as a summary statistic. Compared with aspirin monotherapy, rivaroxaban plus aspirin [OR 0.79 (95% CI, 0.69, 0.89)], ticagrelor plus aspirin [0.88 (0.80, 0.98)], clopidogrel plus aspirin [0.56 (0.41, 0.77)] were associated with a reduced risk of MACEs, but rivaroxaban monotherapy [0.92 (0.79, 1.07)], ticagrelor monotherapy [0.68 (0.45, 1.05)], and clopidogrel monotherapy [0.67 (0.43, 1.05)] showed no statistically significant difference. However, rivaroxaban monotherapy and all dual antithrombotic strategies increased the risk of major bleeding to varying degrees, with ticagrelor plus aspirin associated with the highest risk of major bleeding. The net clinical benefit favored clopidogrel or ticagrelor monotherapy, which have a mild anti-ischemic effect without an increase in bleeding risk. Conclusion: The present network meta-analysis suggests that clopidogrel or ticagrelor monotherapy may be recommended first in this cohort of SCVD at high ischemic risk. But clopidogrel plus aspirin or rivaroxaban plus aspirin can still be considered for use in patients with recurrent MACEs.

Short- and long-term effects of antiretroviral therapy on peripheral regulatory CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in people living with HIV/AIDS

ABSTRACT The effect of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte changes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is still a matter of debate. From October 2015 to December 2019, peripheral blood from 70 cases of PLWHA were collected for the detection of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was performed to detect changes of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in patients with different duration of ART and different treatment effects. We found that the number of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocytes in ART-naive PLWHA were lower than those in healthy volunteers (10.3±٦.٠ cells/uL vs 31.7±8.0 cells/uL, P < 0.05). CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts increased to 17.8±٤.٠ cells/uL 6 months post-ART and 25.0±١١.٩ cells/uL 9 months post-ART, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts between PLWHA who reached a complete immune reconstruction after ART and healthy volunteers. The growth of CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts in patients who had baseline CD4 > 200 cells/uL was greater than those who had baseline CD4 ≤ 200 cells/uL (12.6±٤.٦ cells/uL vs 5.6±٥.٠ cells/uL, P = 0.027). CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts were positively correlated with CD4+ T lymphocyte counts (r = 0.923, P < 0.001) and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (r = 0.741, P < 0.001), but were negatively correlated with HIV-VL (r = −0.648, P = 0.000). In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that changes in CD4+/CD25hi/CD127low T lymphocyte counts can be used to assess the effect of ART in PLWHA.

Clinical and immunological characteristics in COVID-19 convalescent patients.

The humoral and cellular immunity of convalescent COVID-19 patients is involved in pathogenesis and vaccine immunity. In this study, through CoV-psV neutralization assay and IFN-γ ELISpot testing in 30 cases of COVID-19 patients after 9 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, it found that the ratio of memory/naive CD4+ T lymphocytes cells and levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgM and RBD-IgM were slightly but significantly higher in COVID-19 severe convalescent patients than that in non-severe patients. The specific cellular and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 were detectable, regardless of the severity of the disease in the acute phase. This information may help understanding the immune status after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Predictive value of inflammation-based Glasgow prognostic score, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and global registry of acute coronary events score for major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of the inflammation-based Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score and combined diagnostic models for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACEs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, eligible patients were required to meet the third global definition of myocardial infarction. The primary outcome of this study was the occurrence of MACEs during hospitalization. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive ability of the GPS, PLR, GRACE scores, and joint diagnostic models for primary outcomes; univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. FINDINGS: A total of 175 patients were enrolled. The results of the univariate ROC curve analysis for the incidence of MACEs during hospitalization showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.780 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.696-0.864) for the GPS, 0.766 (95% CI 0.682-0.850) for the redefined GPS (RGPS), 0.561 (95% CI 0.458-0.664) for the PLR score (PLRS), and 0.793 (95% CI 0.706-0.880) for GRACE. Multivariate ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC value was 0.809 (95% CI 0.726-0.893) for the GPS combined with GRACE, 0.783 (95% CI 0.701-0.864) for the GPS combined with the PLRS, 0.794 (95% CI 0.707-0.880) for GRACE combined with the PLRS, and 0.841 (95% CI 0.761-0.921) for the GPS combined with GRACE and the PLRS. The combined diagnostic model including the GPS plus GRACE and the PLRS had a higher AUC value than the GPS, RGPS and GRACE models (P = 0.014, P = 0.004, and P = 0.038, respectively). The multivariate logistic regression model showed that the odds ratio for hospitalized MACEs was 5.573 (95% CI 1.588-19.554) for GPS scores of 2 versus 0, and the GRACE score was also an independent risk factor for MACEs, with an odds ratio of 1.023 (95% CI 1.009-1.036). IMPLICATIONS: The diagnostic model combining the GPS plus GRACE and the PLRS has better predictive ability for the occurrence of MACEs during hospitalization than each single score. Thus, the use of a combined GPS plus GRACE and PLRS model will be of clinical benefit in a broad group of individuals with AMI.

Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Antithrombotic Strategies in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndrome: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background Long-term antithrombotic strategies for patients with chronic coronary syndrome with high-risk factors represent an important treatment dilemma in clinical practice. Our aim was to conduct a network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term antithrombotic strategies in patients with chronic coronary syndrome. Methods and Results Four randomized studies were included (n=75167; THEMIS [Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in Diabetes Mellitus Patients Intervention Study], COMPASS [Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies], PEGASUS-TIMI 54 [Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Prior Heart Attack Using Ticagrelor Compared to Placebo on a Background of Aspirin-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 54], and DAPT [Dual Anti-platelet Therapy]). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs) were calculated as the measure of effect size. The results of the network meta-analysis showed that, compared with aspirin monotherapy, the ORs for trial-defined major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were 0.86; (95% CI, 0.80-0.93) for ticagrelor plus aspirin, 0.89 (95% CI, 0.78-1.02) for rivaroxaban monotherapy, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.64-0.85) for rivaroxaban plus aspirin, and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60,-0.86) for thienopyridine plus aspirin. Compared with aspirin monotherapy, the ORs for trial-defined major bleeding were 2.15 (95% CI, 1.78-2.59]) for ticagrelor plus aspirin, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.23-1.85) for rivaroxaban monotherapy, and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.37-2.05) for rivaroxaban plus aspirin. For death from any cause, the improvement effect of rivaroxaban plus aspirin was detected versus aspirin monotherapy (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65-0.90), ticagrelor plus aspirin (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.95), rivaroxaban monotherapy (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.97), and thienopyridine plus aspirin (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41-0.82) regimens. Conclusions All antithrombotic strategies combined with aspirin significantly reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and increased the risk of major bleeding compared with aspirin monotherapy. Considering the outcomes of all ischemic and bleeding events and all-cause mortality, rivaroxaban plus aspirin appears to be the preferred long-term antithrombotic regimen for patients with chronic coronary syndrome and high-risk factors.

IL-10, IL-18 Gene Polymorphisms Might Influence Predisposition to Coronary Artery Disease in East Asians: A Meta-Analysis.

The results of already published studies regarding relationship between interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-18 (IL-18) polymorphisms and predisposition to coronary artery disease (CAD) were still controversial. So the authors designed this meta-analysis to more precisely estimate relationship between IL-10, IL-18 polymorphisms and CAD by pooling the results of already published studies. The authors searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and CNKI for already published studies. The authors used Review Manager to pool the results of already published studies. Thirty-four studies were pooled analyzed in this meta-analysis. The pooled meta-analyses results showed that IL-18 rs187238, IL-18 rs1946518 and IL-18 rs1946519 polymorphisms were all significantly associated with predisposition to CAD in the general population. We also detected similar significant results for IL-10 rs1800871, IL-10 rs1800896, IL-18 rs187238 and IL-18 rs1946518 polymorphisms in East Asians in further subgroup analyses. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that IL-10 rs1800871, IL-10 rs1800896, IL-18 rs187238 and IL-18 rs1946518 polymorphisms might influence predisposition to CAD in East Asians.