Endovascular repair of type B aortic dissection: long-term results of the randomized investigation of stent grafts in aortic dissection trial.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) represents a therapeutic concept for type B aortic dissection. Long-term outcomes and morphology after TEVAR for uncomplicated dissection are unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 140 patients with stable type B aortic dissection previously randomized to optimal medical treatment and TEVAR (n=72) versus optimal medical treatment alone (n=68) were analyzed retrospectively for aorta-specific, all-cause outcomes, and disease progression using landmark statistical analysis of years 2 to 5 after index procedure. Cox regression was used to compare outcomes between groups; all analyses are based on intention to treat. The risk of all-cause mortality (11.1% versus 19.3%; P=0.13), aorta-specific mortality (6.9% versus 19.3%; P=0.04), and progression (27.0% versus 46.1%; P=0.04) after 5 years was lower with TEVAR than with optimal medical treatment alone. Landmark analysis suggested a benefit of TEVAR for all end points between 2 and 5 years; for example, for all-cause mortality (0% versus 16.9%; P=0.0003), aorta-specific mortality (0% versus 16.9%; P=0.0005), and for progression (4.1% versus 28.1%; P=0.004); Landmarking at 1 year and 1 month revealed consistent findings. Both improved survival and less progression of disease at 5 years after elective TEVAR were associated with stent graft induced false lumen thrombosis in 90.6% of cases (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of survivors of type B aortic dissection, TEVAR in addition to optimal medical treatment is associated with improved 5-year aorta-specific survival and delayed disease progression. In stable type B dissection with suitable anatomy, preemptive TEVAR should be considered to improve late outcome. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01415804.

Very late coronary aneurysm formation with subsequent stent thrombosis secondary to drug-eluting stent.

Drug-eluting stents have changed the practice in interventional cardiology. With the widespread use of these stents important safety concerns regarding stent thrombosis and formation of coronary artery aneurysm have been expressed. While the majority of attention was focused on stent thrombosis, the formation of coronary aneurysm was only described in anecdotal reports. We report on a patient who suffered from very late stent thrombosis in association with coronary artery aneurysm formation secondary to drug-eluting stent but not to bare-metal stent.

Impaired mobilization of CD133(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells with an increased number of diseased coronary arteries in ischemic heart disease patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the mobilization of CD133/45(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) was analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs by flow cytometry was measured in 120 patients with coronary 1 vessel (IHD1, n=40), coronary 2 vessel (IHD2, n=40), and coronary 3 vessel disease (IHD3, n=40), and in a control group (n=40). The mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs was significantly reduced in patients with IHD compared to the control group (P<0.001). The mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs was impaired in patients with IHD3 compared to IHD1 (P<0.001) and to IHD2 (P<0.001). But there was no significant difference in mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs between the patients with IHD2 and IHD1 (P=0.35). Moreover, we found significantly reduced CD133/45(+) cell mobilization in patients with a high SYNTAX-Score (SS) compared to a low SS (P<0.001) and an intermediate SS (P<0.001). In subgroup analyzes, we observed a significantly negative correlation between levels of hemoglobin A(1c) and the mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs (P=0.001, r=-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: The mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs in PB is impaired in patients with IHD. This impairment might augment with increased number of diseased coronary arteries. Moreover, mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs in ischemic tissue is further impaired by diabetes in patients with IHD.

Improvement of cardiac function by intracoronary freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed in the present study the influence of intracoronary autologous freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation (BMCs-Tx) on cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: The 32 patients with AMI were enrolled in this prospective nonrandomized study to either freshly isolated BMC-Tx or to a control group without cell therapy. Global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the size of infarct area were determined by left ventriculography. We observed in patients with autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx at 6 months follow up a significant reduction of infarct size as compared to control group. Moreover, we found a significant increase of LVEF as well as infarct wall movement velocity at 6 months follow up in cell therapy group as compared to control group. In the control group there was no significant difference of LVEF, infarct size and infarct wall movement velocity between baseline and 6 months after AMI. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate for the first time that intracoronary transplantation of autologous freshly isolated BMCs by use of a point of care system is safe, and may lead to improvement of cardiac function in patients with AMI.

Hypereosinophilic Syndrome: a rare case of Loeffler's endocarditis documented in cardiac MRI.

Cardiac manifestation of Hypereosinophilic Syndrome usually presents as Loeffler's endocarditis; this case of unusual manifestation of Hypereosinophilic Syndrome, however, revealed restrictive left ventricular dysfunction and increased left ventricular wall mass. Both, an endocardiac eosinophilic mass and layers of intraventricular thrombus were demonstrated and followed by echocardiography and MRI under treatment. The current case demonstrates not only the diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize eosinophilic infiltrate and thrombus, but also morphologic changes with treatment by oral anticoagulation and immunosuppression. With 6 months of intense medical treatment cardiac MRI was instrumental to document both the endocardiac mass and improvement of left ventricular function.

Improved mobilization of the CD34(+) and CD133(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells by freshly isolated intracoronary bone marrow cell transplantation in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Cell therapy is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. Because the role of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) after cell therapy is less clear, we analyzed in this randomized, controlled study the influence of intracoronary autologous freshly isolated bone marrow cell transplantation (BMC-Tx) by using a point-of-care system on cardiac function and on the mobilization of BM-CPCs in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Fifty-six patients with IHD were randomized to either receive freshly isolated BMC-Tx or a control group that did not receive cell therapy. Peripheral blood concentrations of CD34/45(+) and CD133/45(+) CPCs were measured by flow cytometry pre-, immediately post-, and at 3, 6, and 12 months postprocedure in both groups. Global ejection fraction and the size of infarct area were determined by left ventriculography. We observed in patients with IHD after intracoronary transplantation of autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx at 3 and 12 months follow-up a significant reduction of the size of infarct area and increase of global ejection fraction as well as infarct wall movement velocity. The mobilization of CD34/45(+) and CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs significantly increased at 3, 6, and 12 months after cell therapy when compared with baseline in patients with IHD, although no significant changes were observed between pre- and immediately postintracoronary cell therapy administration. In the control group without cell therapy, there was no significant difference of CD34/45(+) and CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs mobilization between pre- and at 3, 6, and 12 months postcoronary angiography. Intracoronary transplantation of autologous freshly isolated BMCs by using a point-of-care system in patients with IHD may enhance and prolong the mobilization of CD34/45(+) and CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs in peripheral blood and this might increase the regenerative potency in IHD.

Strategies for subacute/chronic type B aortic dissection: the Investigation Of Stent Grafts in Patients with type B Aortic Dissection (INSTEAD) trial 1-year outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular stent grafting represents a novel concept for type B aortic dissection both in the acute and subacute/chronic setting, with an unknown effect on outcomes. METHODS: In a prospective trial 140 patients with stable type B dissection were randomly subjected to elective stent-graft placement in addition to optimal medical therapy (n = 72) or to optimal medical therapy (n = 68) with surveillance (arterial pressure according to World Health Organization guidelines ≤ 120/80 mm Hg). The primary end point was 1-year all-cause mortality, whereas aorta-related mortality, progression (with need for conversion or additional endovascular or open surgical intervention), and aortic remodeling were secondary end points. RESULTS: There was no difference in all-cause mortality: cumulative survival was 97.0% ± 3.4% with optimal medical therapy versus 91.3% ± 2.1% with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (P = .16). Moreover, aorta-related mortality was not different (P = .42), and the risk for the combined end point of aorta-related death (rupture) and progression (including conversion or additional endovascular or open surgical intervention) was similar (P = .86). Three neurologic adverse events occurred in the thoracic endovascular aortic repair group (1 paraplegia, 1 stroke, and 1 transient paraparesis) versus 1 episode of paraparesis with medical treatment. Finally, aortic remodeling (with true-lumen recovery and thoracic false-lumen thrombosis) occurred in 91.3% with thoracic endovascular aortic repair versus 19.4% with medical treatment (P < .001), which is suggestive of continued remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: In survivors of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection, elective stent-graft placement does not improve 1-year survival and adverse events, despite favorable aortic remodeling.

Randomized comparison of strategies for type B aortic dissection: the INvestigation of STEnt Grafts in Aortic Dissection (INSTEAD) trial.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) represents a novel concept for type B aortic dissection. Although life-saving in acute emergencies, outcomes and survival of TEVAR in stable dissection are unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred forty patients in stable clinical condition at least 2 weeks after index dissection were randomly subjected to elective stent-graft placement in addition to optimal medical therapy (n=72) or to optimal medical therapy alone (n=68) with surveillance (arterial pressure according to World Health Organization guidelines < or =120/80 mm Hg). The primary end point was all-cause death at 2 years, whereas aorta-related death, progression (with need for conversion or additional endovascular or open surgery), and aortic remodeling were secondary end points. There was no difference in all-cause deaths, with a 2-year cumulative survival rate of 95.6+/-2.5% with optimal medical therapy versus 88.9+/-3.7% with TEVAR (P=0.15); the trial, however, turned out to be underpowered. Moreover, the aorta-related death rate was not different (P=0.44), and the risk for the combined end point of aorta-related death (rupture) and progression (including conversion or additional endovascular or open surgery) was similar (P=0.65). Three neurological adverse events occurred in the TEVAR group (1 paraplegia, 1 stroke, and 1 transient paraparesis), versus 1 case of paraparesis with medical treatment. Finally, aortic remodeling (with true-lumen recovery and thoracic false-lumen thrombosis) occurred in 91.3% of patients with TEVAR versus 19.4% of those who received medical treatment (P<0.001), which suggests ongoing aortic remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: In the first randomized study on elective stent-graft placement in survivors of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection, TEVAR failed to improve 2-year survival and adverse event rates despite favorable aortic remodeling.

[Quadricuspid aortic valve as an unusual cause of severe aortic regurgitation]. / Quadrikuspide Aortenklappe als ungewöhnliche Genese einer ausgeprägten Aortenklappeninsuffizienz.

BACKGROUND: Both, acute and chronic aortic insufficiency, can be caused by various conditions. While the acute form is often associated with an endocarditis, type A aortic dissection and trauma, one possible cause of chronic aortic insufficiency is a congenital malformation of the aortic valve. Among these malformations, the quadricuspid aortic valve is the most rare form. The diagnosis is often made by Doppler echocardiography, during cardiac surgery, or postmortem. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old female patient presented with a 2-year history of increasing dyspnea on exertion. The physical examination revealed a diastolic heart murmur in the second right intercostal space and a blood pressure of 170/60 mmHg. Transthoracic and transesophageal Doppler echocardiography disclosed a quadricuspid aortic valve with severe aortic insufficiency. After implantation of a mechanical aortic valve, the patient was clinically well. CONCLUSION: Quadricuspid aortic valve, often associated with aortic insufficiency, is a rare condition. The diagnosis can be made by Doppler echocardiography. The special treatment should be based on objective and subjective findings. In the absence of severe aortic regurgitation or clinical signs, a medical treatment with close follow-up is justified. In case of severe aortic regurgitation or clinical signs of cardiac decompensation, surgical treatment is recommended.

Detection of FMR1-gene in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a new piece in the puzzle.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a cardiac entity appreciated only recently mimicking acute myocardial infarction, often affects post-menopausal women and is triggered by preceding emotional or physical stress. Pathogenesis of TTC is unknown, recurrence of TTC in one individual and familial predisposition occurs. Expression profiling of cardiac genes in the acute phase of TTC are not enough analyzed and are a component of future research. We report for the first time on a female individual with TTC, who happened to be carrier of an FMR1 gene mutation, alleles of an intermediate size between 40-55 triplet premutations.

Recurrent left ventricular apical ballooning induced by recurrent stress.

This paper reports on a 67-year-old woman with apical ballooning and recurrent dyskinesia of left ventricular wall. During MRI-examination the patient developed severe apical dyskinesia of the left ventricle induced by agoraphobia in the magnet.