Assessing Potential Risks of Future Redo Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Asian Patients.

Background: In the Asian cohort, data are limited on the risk for coronary obstruction due to sinus of Valsalva (SOV) sequestration in redo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the potential risk for coronary obstruction in simulated redo TAVR in Asian patients. Methods: Post-TAVR computed tomographic data from 788 patients who received balloon-expandable (BE) SAPIEN 3 transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs) and 334 patients who received self-expanding (SE) Evolut R or Evolut PRO TAVs were analyzed. The risk for coronary obstruction due to SOV sequestration in redo TAVR, defined as the TAV commissure level above the sinotubular junction (STJ) and a TAV-to-STJ distance <2.0 mm in each coronary sinus, was retrospectively evaluated. Results: The potential risks for coronary obstruction due to SOV sequestration at 1 or both coronary arteries were identified in 52.1% of the BE TAV group and 71.3% of the SE TAV group (P < 0.001). After adjusting for multiple covariates, STJ diameter, STJ height, TAV oversizing degree by area, and implantation depth were independently associated with SOV sequestration risk in the BE TAV group, whereas STJ diameter and implantation depth were independently associated with SOV sequestration risk in the SE TAV group. Conclusions: Coronary obstruction due to SOV sequestration in redo TAVR may occur in a substantial number of Asian patients. This finding suggests the importance of considering the structural feasibility of future redo TAVR when implanting the first TAV, especially in Asian patients with long life expectancy.

Impact of Transjugular Intracardiac Echocardiography-Guided Self-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation on Reduction of Conduction Disturbances.

BACKGROUND: A high permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) risk remains a concern of self-expandable transcatheter aortic valve implantation, despite the continued improvements in implantation methodology. We aimed to assess the impact of real-time direct visualization of the membranous septum using transjugular intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) during transcatheter aortic valve implantation on reducing the rates of conduction disturbances including the need for PPI. METHODS: Consecutive patients treated with Evolut R and Evolut PRO/PRO+ from February 2017 to September 2022 were included in this study. We compared outcomes between the conventional implantation method using the 3-cusps view (3 cusps without ICE group), the recent method using cusp-overlap view (cusp overlap without ICE group), and our novel method using ICE (cusp overlap with ICE group). RESULTS: Of the 446 patients eligible for analysis, 211 (47.3%) were categorized as the 3 cusps without ICE group, 129 (28.9%) were in the cusp overlap without ICE group, and 106 (23.8%) comprised the cusp overlap with ICE group. Compared with the 3 cusps without ICE group, the cusp overlap without ICE group had a smaller implantation depth (2.2 [interquartile range, 1.0-3.5] mm versus 4.3 [interquartile range, 3.3-5.4] mm; P<0.001) and lower 30-day PPI rates (7.0% versus 14.2%; P=0.035). Compared with the cusp overlap without ICE group, the cusp overlap with ICE group had lower 30-day PPI rates (0.9%; P=0.014), albeit with comparable implantation depths (1.9 [interquartile range, 0.9-2.9] mm; P=0.150). Multivariable analysis showed that our novel method using ICE with the cusp-overlap view was independently associated with a 30-day PPI rate reduction. There were no group differences in 30-day all-cause mortality (1.4% versus 1.6% versus 0%; P=0.608). CONCLUSIONS: Our novel implantation method using transjugular ICE, which enable real-time direct visualization of the membranous septum, achieved a predictably high position of prostheses, resulting in a substantial reduction of conduction disturbances requiring PPI after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Older Japanese Adults at High Surgical Risk Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background The usefulness of preprocedural nutritional status to stratify prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been evaluated; however, the studies conducted so far have been relatively small and/or focused on a single nutritional index. This study sought to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of malnutrition in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Methods and Results We applied the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index to 1040 consecutive older Japanese patients at high surgical risk who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation. According to the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index, 16.6%, 60.5%, and 13.8% patients had moderate or severe malnutrition, respectively; 89.3% were at least mildly malnourished by at least 1 score. Worse nutritional status was associated with older age, lower body mass index, higher degree of frailty, worse symptoms and renal function, atrial fibrillation, and anemia. During a median follow-up of 986 days (interquartile range, 556-1402 days), 273 (26.3%) patients died. Compared with normal nutrition, malnutrition was associated with an increased risk for all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio for moderate and severe malnutrition, respectively: 2.19 (95% CI, 1.45-3.31; P<0.001) and 6.13 (95% CI, 2.75-13.70; P<0.001) for the Controlling Nutritional Status score, 2.02 (95% CI, 1.36-3.02; P=0.001) and 3.24 (95% CI, 1.86-5.65; P<0.001) for the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and 1.60 (95% CI, 1.06-2.39; P=0.024) and 2.32 (95% CI, 1.50-3.60; P<0.001) for the Prognostic Nutritional Index). Conclusions Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation and is associated with increased mortality.

Genetic diversity of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) revealed using RAD-Seq SNP markers.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) have originated in southeastern China and spread as a cultivated plant worldwide. Many of the loquat genetic resources collected internationally are of unknown origin, and their genetic background requires clarification. This study analyzed the genetic diversity of 95 accessions by using Rad-Seq SNP markers. Data analysis broadly classified loquat into three groups: (1) Japanese and Chinese cultivars and some Japanese strains (wild plants that are not used for commercial cultivation), (2) Vietnamese, Israeli, Greek, USA, and Mexican cultivars and strains, and (3) other Japanese strains. Group 2 is cultivated mostly outside of East Asia and was clearly distinct from the other groups, indicating that varieties of unknown origin with genetic backgrounds different from those of Japanese and Chinese cultivars may have been introduced to Mediterranean countries and North America. Because Japanese and Chinese cultivars belong to group 1, the current Japanese cultivars are derived from genetic resources brought from China. Some of group 1 may have been introduced to Japan before excellent varieties were developed in China, while group 3 may have been indigenous to Japan that have not been introduced by human activities, or may have been brought to Japan by human activities from China.

Mid-term impact of underfilling and overfilling of the SAPIEN 3 balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve implantation on mortality and valve function.

At present, underfilling or overfilling the volume of the balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve (THV) is generally utilized in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, no research has assessed the clinical impact of filling volume variations of the current-generation SAPIEN 3 THV. We analyzed the clinical data of 331 patients who underwent TAVI with SAPIEN 3 at our institution. Post-procedural echocardiographic and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan data and 3-year prognoses according to each filling volume were assessed. The procedural outcomes and 3-year mortality rates were comparable among the underfilling, nominal filling, and overfilling groups. For all THV sizes, the THV area evaluated on post-procedural MDCT scan increased stepwise along with an elevated filling volume, thereby covering a wide range of native annulus area. Compared with patients in the nominal filling and overfilling groups, those with 23-mm THVs in the underfilling group had a smaller effective orifice area (EOA) (1.38 [IQR: 1.18-1.56] vs. 1.57 [IQR: 1.41-1.84] vs. 1.58 [IQR: 1.45-1.71] cm2, P = 0.02) and a higher mean transvalvular gradient (13.6 [IQR: 11.0-15.7] vs. 12.1 [IQR: 9.0-14.9] vs. 12.0 [IQR: 8.1-14.8] cm2, P = 0.04). In conclusion, by adjusting the filling volume of SAPIEN 3 using THV with limited sizes, continuously distributed native annulus areas were covered. The underfilling implantation technique had a minimal negative effect on the valve function of 23-mm THVs only. In the entire cohort, the filling volume variations did not affect the mid-term prognosis negatively.

Frailty and Bleeding After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of frailty for bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In 2439 patients who underwent their PCI, frailty was prospectively assessed according to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging clinical frailty scale (CFS). Patients were divided into three groups according to the CFS: low (CFS levels 1 to 3; 1748 patients, 71.7%), intermediate (CFS levels 4 to 6; 519 patients, 21.3%), and high CFS groups (CFS levels 7 to 9; 172 patients, 7.1%). Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) was present in 47.3% in the low CFS group, in 83.2% in the intermediate CFS group and in 89.0% in the high CFS group (p <0.001). Patients in the intermediate and high CFS groups were associated with higher 1-year major bleeding risk after PCI in the overall cohort (HR 3.82, 95% CI 2.65 to 5.51, p <0.001, and HR 7.81, 95% CI 5.07 to 12.0, p <0.001, respectively). Patients in the high CFS group were also associated with higher 1-year major bleeding risk regardless of having the high bleeding risk (HBR) according to ARC-HBR. In conclusion, the association of frailty with 1-year major bleeding was consistently observed in patients with and without HBR, indicating that frailty per se might be a predictor for major bleeding after PCI on top of HBR criteria.

Patient Selection and Clinical Outcomes in the STOPDAPT-2 Trial: An All-Comer Single-Center Registry During the Enrollment Period of the STOPDAPT-2 Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: We sought to evaluate the impact of patient selection for the STOPDAPT-2 trial (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Everolimus-Eluting Cobalt-Chromium Stent-2) on clinical outcomes in a registry from a single center that participated in the STOPDAPT-2 trial. METHODS: Among 2190 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using stent in Kokura Memorial Hospital during the enrollment period of the STOPDAPT-2 trial, 521 patients had exclusion criteria such as in-hospital major complications, anticoagulant use, or prior intracranial bleeding (ineligible group). Among 1669 patients who met the eligibility criteria (eligible group), 582 were enrolled (enrolled group) and 1087 were not enrolled (nonenrolled group) in the STOPDAPT-2 trial. The primary outcome measure was defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, stroke, or Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction major and minor bleeding. RESULTS: Compared with the enrolled group, patients in the nonenrolled group more often had high bleeding risk according to the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk definition (52.6% versus 41.2%; P<0.001) and were frailer according to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (intermediate, 21.4% versus 14.1%; high, 6.4% versus 2.1%; P<0.001). The cumulative 1-year incidences of the primary outcome measure, all-cause death, and major bleeding were significantly higher in the nonenrolled group than in the enrolled group (7.2% versus 4.5%, P=0.03; 4.1% versus 0.9%, P<0.001; and 4.3% versus 2.1%, P=0.03, respectively) and in the ineligible group than in the eligible group (21.2% versus 6.3%, P<0.001; 9.9% versus 3.0%, P<0.001; and 13.5% versus 3.5%, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who were ineligible, eligible but not enrolled, and enrolled in the STOPDAPT-2 trial had different risk profiles and clinical outcomes, suggesting important implications in applying the trial results in daily clinical practice.

Draft Genome Sequences of Three Strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. eriobotryae, a Pathogen Causing Canker Disease in Loquat, Isolated in Japan.

The phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. eriobotryae causes canker disease in loquat. Isolates from Japan are classified into three groups based on pathogenicity and pigment production. In this study, we report the draft genome sequences of three strains, one belonging to each of the three groups.