Relationships between sodium levels, haemodynamics and metalloproteinases in heart failure patients.

To estimate the associations between dysnatraemia and inflammatory marker [including interleukin-6 (IL-6)], and tissue remodelling marker [matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1], the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (EDP), and the prognostic relevance in patients with heart failure. The serum sodium level and circulating levels of IL-6, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 were measured in 173 heart failure patients. Dual heart catheterisation was performed to measure PCWP, mean PAP, and EDP. All-cause mortality was assessed during the follow-up period (mean 88 ± 49 months). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression showed a U-shaped association of serum sodium level with TIMP-1, with the lowest values in the 138-140 mmol/L range (P for effect = 0.042, P for non-linearity = 0.017). IL-6 and MMP-9 levels showed non-significant associations with serum sodium level. U-shaped associations of serum sodium level with PCWP (P for effect = 0.004, P for non-linearity = 0.001) and mean PAP (P for effect = 0.042, P for non-linearity = 0.017) were found with the RCS regression model. The random forest model revealed that TIMP-1, MMP-9, and IL-6 were important predictors for serum sodium levels. Restricted cubic spline Cox regressions demonstrated that TIMP-1 levels indicated a U-shaped, concaved, non-linear association with all-cause mortality (P for effect = 0.011, P for non-linearity = 0.022). Dysnatraemia is an index of TIMP-1 aggravation and elevated PCWP, mean PAP; hence, it is associated with worsening all-cause mortality.Clinical Trial Registration: UMIN000023840.

Idiopathic right ventricular arrhythmias requiring additional ablation from the left-sided outflow tract: ECG characteristics and efficacy of an anatomical approach.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the characteristic electrocardiogram (ECG) findings of early activation during ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VAs) and/or excellent pacemapping in the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), some VAs may require additional, left-sided ablation for a cure. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included five patients with idiopathic VAs whose QRS morphologies were highly suggestive of an RVOT origin. The ECG characteristics and intracardiac electrocardiograms during catheter ablation were assessed. In all patients, the clinical VAs had an LBBB QRS morphology and inferior axis with a precordial R/S transition through leads V3-V5, and negative components in lead I. The earliest activation during the VAs (local electrogram-QRS interval = -34 ± 6.8 ms) and excellent pacemapping were obtained at the posterior portion of the RVOT just beneath the pulmonary valve. However, ablation at those sites failed, and the QRS morphology of the VAs changed. During left-sided OT mapping, the earliest activation was found at sites just contralateral to the initially ablated sites of the RVOT (junction of the left and right coronary cusps = 2, left coronary cusp = 3). In spite of the late activation time and poor pacemapping scores, catheter ablation at those sites cured the VAs. Those successful sites were also near the transitional zone from the great cardiac vein to the anterior interventricular vein (GCV-AIV). CONCLUSIONS: Some VAs, highly suggestive of having RVOT origins, require catheter ablation in the left-sided OT near the initially ablated RVOT site. Those VAs have the same ECG characteristics and might have intramural origins in the superobasal LV surrounded by the RVOT, LVOT, and GCV-AIV.

The P wave morphology in lead V7 on the synthesized 18-lead ECG is a useful parameter for identifying arrhythmias originating from the right inferior pulmonary vein.

Atrial tachyarrhythmias often originate from the superior vena cava (SVC), and right superior (RSPV) and inferior pulmonary veins (RIPV). However, a precise differentiation of those origins is challenging using the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) P-wave morphology due to the anatomical proximity. The recently developed synthesized 18-lead ECG provides virtual waveforms of the right-sided chest and back leads. This study evaluated the utility of the synthesized 18-lead ECG to differentiate atrial arrhythmias originating from 3 adjacent structures. Synthesized 18-lead ECGs were obtained during SVC-, RSPV-, and RIPV-pacing in 20 patients with lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation to develop an algorithm. The P-wave morphologies were classified into 4 patterns: positive, negative, biphasic, and isoelectric. Subsequently, the algorithm's accuracy was validated prospectively in another 40 patients. In retrospective analyses, isoelectric P-waves in synthesized V7 distinguished RIPV-pacing from the others (sensitivity = 81%, specificity = 92%) (first criteria). The P wave morphologies in Leads II (sensitivity = 83%, specificity = 94%) and V1 (sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 80%) distinguished SVC- and RSPV-pacing (second criteria). In a prospective evaluation, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value [PPV], negative predictive value [NPV], and accuracy of the first criteria for identifying RIPV-pacing was 97%, 90%, 78%, 99%, and 92%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, RPV, NPV, and accuracy of the second criteria (amplitudes > 1 mV in lead II or biphasic P-waves in lead V1) for discriminating SVC- and RSPV-pacing was 66%, 95%, 98%, 50%, and 74%, respectively. The P wave morphology pattern in lead V7 in synthesized 18-lead ECGs is useful for differentiating RIPV origins from RSPV/SVC origins.

Serum tenascin-C levels in atrium predict atrial structural remodeling processes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Fibro-inflammatory processes in the extracellular matrix are closely associated with progressive structural remodeling in atrial fibrillation (AF). Serum concentrations of tenascin-C (TNC), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, and of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) might serve as a marker of remodeling and progressive inflammation of the aorta and in myocardial diseases. This study aimed to clarify relationships between TNC and CRP in patients with AF. METHODS: This study included 38 patients with AF and five controls without left ventricular dysfunction who underwent catheter ablation. Blood was collected immediately before ablation from the left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), and femoral artery (FA), and left and right atrial pressure was measured. Levels of TNC in the LA (TNC-LA), RA (TNC-RA), and FA (TNC-FA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Atrial size was also determined by echocardiography. RESULTS: Levels of TNC corrected by atrial size were maximal in the LA, followed by the RA (3.69 ± 0.32 and 2.87 ± 0.38 ng/mL/cm, respectively). Mean transverse diameter corrected by body surface area was larger and mean atrial pressure was greater in the LA than the RA. A relationship was found between CRP from the femoral vein and TNC-LA and TNC-RA, but not TNC-FA. None of TNC-LA, TNC-RA, or TNC-FA correlated with ANP or BNP in the femoral vein. CONCLUSIONS: Intracardiac (atrial) TNC expression plays an important role in the development of remodeling processes in the atrium with AF. Tenascin-C from the LA and RA (but not TNC, ANP, and BNP from FA) might serve as novel markers of these processes.

Pressure-guided second-generation cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation: Prospective comparison of the procedural and clinical outcomes with the conventional strategy.

BACKGROUND: The utility of pressure waveform analyses to assess pulmonary vein (PV) occlusions has been reported in cryoballoon PV isolation (CB-PVI) using first-generation CBs. This prospective randomized study compared the procedural and clinical outcomes of pressure-guided and conventional CB-PVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent CB-PVI with 28-mm second-generation CBs. PV occlusions were assessed either by real-time pressure waveforms without contrast utilization (pressure-guided group) or contrast injections (conventional group) and randomly assigned. Before the randomization, 24 patients underwent pressure-guided CB-PVIs. In the derivation study, a vein occlusion was obtained in 88/96 (91.7%) PVs among which 86 (97.7%) were successfully isolated by the application. In the validation study, the nadir balloon temperature and total freezing time did not significantly differ per PV between the two groups. The positive predictive value of the vein occlusion for predicting successful acute isolations was similar (93 of 103 [90.2%] and 89 of 98 [90.8%] PVs; P = 1.000), but the negative predictive value was significantly higher in pressure-guided than angiographical occlusions (14 of 17 [82.3%] vs 7 of 22 [31.8%]; P = .003). Both the procedure (57.7 ± 14.2 vs 62.6 ± 15.8 minutes; P = .526) and fluoroscopic times (16.3 ± 6.4 vs 20.1 ± 6.1; P = .732) were similar between the two groups, however, the fluoroscopy dose (130.6 ± 97.7 vs 353.2 ± 231.4 mGy; P < .001) and contrast volume used (0 vs 17.5 ± 7.7 mL; P < .001) were significantly smaller in the pressure-guided than conventional group. During 27.8 (5-39) months of follow-up, the single procedure arrhythmia freedom was similar between the two groups (P = .438). CONCLUSIONS: Pressure-guided second-generation CB-PVIs were similarly effective and as safe as conventional CB-PVIs. This technique required no contrast utilization and significantly reduced radiation exposure more than conventional CB-PVIs.

Intra-procedural evaluation of the cavo-tricuspid isthmus anatomy with different techniques: comparison of angiography and intracardiac echocardiography.

Cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI) anatomies are highly variable, and specific anatomies lead to a difficult CTI ablation. This study aimed to compare the clinical utility of angiography and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in evaluating CTI anatomies, and to investigate the impact of the CTI anatomy on the procedure when the ablation tactic was adjusted to the anatomy. This study included 92 consecutive patients who underwent a CTI ablation. The CTI morphology was assessed with both right atrial angiography and ICE before the ablation, and the ablation tactic was adjusted to the anatomy. The mean CTI length was 34 ± 9 mm. On ICE imaging, 21 (23%) patients had a flat CTI, while 41 (45%) had a concave CTI with a mean depth of 5.6 ± 2.7 mm. The remaining 30 (32%) had a distinct pouch with a mean depth of 6.4 ± 2.3 mm, located at the posterior, middle, and anterior isthmus in 15, 14, and 1 patients, respectively. The Eustachian ridge (ER) was visualized in 46 (50%) patients. On angiography, a pouch and ER were detected in 22 and 15 patients, but not in the remaining 8 and 31, respectively. A complete CTI block line was created in all patients without any complications. The CTI anatomy did not significantly impact any procedural parameters. ICE was superior to angiography in evaluating the detailed CTI anatomy, especially pouches and the ER. An adjustment of the ablation tactic to the anatomy could overcome the procedural difficulties of the CTI ablation in cases with specific anatomies.

Endothelial damage and thromboembolic risk after pulmonary vein isolation using the latest ablation technologies: a comparison of the second-generation cryoballoon vs. contact force-sensing radiofrequency ablation.

Experimental data suggest that cryoenergy is associated with less endothelial damage and thrombus formation than radiofrequency energy. This study aimed to compare the impact of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) on the endothelial damage, myocardial damage, inflammatory response, and prothrombotic state between the two latest technologies, second-generation cryoballoon (CB2) and contact force-sensing radiofrequency catheter (CFRF) ablation. Eighty-six paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients (55 men; 65 ± 12 years) underwent PVI with either the CB2 (n = 64) or CFRF (n = 22). Markers of the endothelial damage (L-arginine/asymmetric dimethylarginine [ADMA]), myocardial injury (creatine kinase-MB [CK-MB], troponin-T, and troponin-I), inflammatory response (high-sensitive C-reactive protein), and prothrombotic state (D-dimer, soluble fibrin monomer complex, and thrombin-antithrombin complex) were determined before and up to 24-h post-procedure. The total application time was shorter (1,460 ± 287 vs. 2,395 ± 571 [sec], p < 0.01) and total procedure time tended to be shorter (199 ± 37 vs. 218 ± 38 [min], p = 0.06) with CB2 than CFRF ablation. The amount of myocardial injury was greater (CK-MB: 45 ± 17 vs. 11 ± 3 [IU/l], p < 0.01) with CB2 than CFRF ablation. The L-arginine/ADMA ratio was lower (160 ± 51 vs. 194 ± 38, p = 0.028) after CB2 than CFRF ablation. Inflammatory and all prothrombotic markers were significantly elevated post-ablation; however, the magnitude was similar between the two groups. During a mean follow-up of 20 ± 6 months, the single-procedure AF freedom was similar between the CB2 and CFRF groups (60/64 vs. 20/22, p = 0.82). CB2-PVI produces significantly lesser endothelial damage with greater myocardial injury than CFRF-PVI; however, similar anticoagulant regimens are required during the peri-procedural periods in both technologies.

A Slower Heart Rate and Therapeutic Hypothermia Unmasked Early Repolarization Syndrome in a Ventricular Fibrillation Survivor.

Patients presenting with aborted cardiac arrest who display early repolarization generally are diagnosed with early repolarization syndrome. Therapeutic hypothermia is a standard strategy to improve neurological outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. We present here a patient in whom therapeutic hypothermia exacerbated the J-wave amplitude and morphology, which resulted in episodes of refractory ventricular fibrillation.

Medical Castration is a Rare but Possible Trigger of Torsade de Pointes and Ventricular Fibrillation.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men and has been steadily rising in an aging society. Medical castration therapy is effective for metastatic prostate cancer, but the proarrhythmic properties have not been reported. We present a 71-year-old Japanese man with metastasis prostate cancer that, during medical castration therapy, had torsades de pointes (TdP) with a QT prolongation and ventricular fibrillation (VF). His QT interval diminished after discontinuing the medical castration, and he developed no further VF recurrences for 15 months. Medical castration is a rare but possible trigger of TdP with QT prolongation and VF.

The impact of the CartoSound® image directly acquired from the left atrium for integration in atrial fibrillation ablation.

PURPOSE: Intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) imaging might be useful for integrating three-dimensional computed tomographic (CT) images for left atrial (LA) catheter navigation during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the optimal CT image integration method using ICE has not been established. METHODS: This study included 52 AF patients who underwent successful circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI). In all patients, CT image integration was performed after the CPVI with the following two methods: (1) using ICE images of the LA derived from the right atrium and right ventricular outflow tract (RA-merge) and (2) using ICE images of the LA directly derived from the LA added to the image for the RA-merge (LA-merge). The accuracy of these two methods was assessed by the distances between the integrated CT image and ICE image (ICE-to-CT distance), and between the CT image and actual ablated sites for the CPVI (CT-to-ABL distance). RESULTS: The mean ICE-to-CT distance was comparable between the two methods (RA-merge = 1.6 ± 0.5 mm, LA-merge = 1.7 ± 0.4 mm; p = 0.33). However, the mean CT-to-ABL distance was shorter for the LA-merge (2.1 ± 0.6 mm) than RA-merge (2.5 ± 0.8 mm; p < 0.01). The LA, especially the left-sided PVs and LA roof, was more sharply delineated by direct LA imaging, and whereas the greatest CT-to-ABL distance was observed at the roof portion of the left superior PV (3.7 ± 2.8 mm) after the RA-merge, it improved to 2.6 ± 1.9 mm after the LA-merge (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Additional ICE images of the LA directly acquired from the LA might lead to a greater accuracy of the CT image integration for the CVPI.