Impact of antiphospholipid antibodies on cardiac valve lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis assesses antiphospholipid antibodies' (aPLs) impact on heart valve disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science up to January 2024 for comparative studies of heart valve disease in aPL-positive versus aPL-negative SLE patients. Fixed-effect or random-effect models were used to synthesize data, with I2 and sensitivity analyses for heterogeneity and the trim-and-fill method for publication bias. Including 25 studies with 8089 patients, of which 919 had valvular changes, aPLs significantly increased the risk of heart valve disease (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.58-3.18, p < 0.001). Lupus anticoagulant (LA) indicated the highest risk (OR = 4.90, 95% CI: 2.26-10.60, p < 0.001), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) doubled the risk (OR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.47-4.93, p = 0.001), and anti-ß2 glycoprotein I (aß2GPI) showed a 70% increase (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.17-2.45, p = 0.005). Valve-specific analysis indicated the mitral valve was most commonly involved (26.89%), with higher occurrences in aPL-positive patients (33.34% vs. 15.92%, p = 0.053). Aortic and tricuspid valve involvements were 13.11% vs. 5.42% (p = 0.147) and 12.03% vs. 8.52% (p = 0.039), respectively. Pulmonary valve disease was rare and similar across groups (1.01% in aPL-positive vs. 1.52% in aPL-negative). Significantly, only tricuspid valve disease showed increased risk in aPL-positive patients (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.05-6.75, p = 0.039). APLs notably increase the risk of heart valve disease in SLE patients, with a pronounced effect on tricuspid valve involvement. Regular cardiac assessments for aPL-positive SLE patients are crucial for timely intervention and improved prognosis.

In Vivo Three-Dimensional Geometric Reconstruction of the Mouse Aortic Heart Valve.

Aortic valve (AV) disease is a common valvular lesion in the United States, present in about 5% of the population at age 65 with increasing prevalence with advancing age. While current replacement heart valves have extended life for many, their long-term use remains hampered by limited durability. Non-surgical treatments for AV disease do not yet exist, in large part because our understanding of AV disease etiology remains incomplete. The direct study of human AV disease remains hampered by the fact that clinical data is only available at the time of treatment, where the disease is at or near end stage and any time progression information has been lost. Large animal models, long used to assess replacement AV devices, cannot yet reproduce AV disease processes. As an important alternative mouse animal models are attractive for their ability to perform genetic studies of the AV disease processes and test potential pharmaceutical treatments. While mouse models have been used for cellular and genetic studies of AV disease, their small size and fast heart rates have hindered their use for tissue- and organ-level studies. We have recently developed a novel ex vivo micro-CT-based methodology to 3D reconstruct murine heart valves and estimate the leaflet mechanical behaviors (Feng et al. in Sci Rep 13(1):12852, 2023). In the present study, we extended our approach to 3D reconstruction of the in vivo functional murine AV (mAV) geometry using high-frequency four-dimensional ultrasound (4DUS). From the resulting 4DUS images we digitized the mAV mid-surface coordinates in the fully closed and fully opened states. We then utilized matched high-resolution µCT images of ex vivo mouse mAV to develop mAV NURBS-based geometric model. We then fitted the mAV geometric model to the in vivo data to reconstruct the 3D in vivo mAV geometry in the closed and open states in n = 3 mAV. Results demonstrated high fidelity geometric results. To our knowledge, this is the first time such reconstruction was ever achieved. This robust assessment of in vivo mAV leaflet kinematics in 3D opens up the possibility for longitudinal characterization of murine models that develop aortic valve disease.

The role of echocardiography in sports cardiology: An expert opinion statement of the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology (SIC sport).

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is routinely required during pre-participation screening in the presence of symptoms, family history of sudden cardiac death or cardiomyopathies <40-year-old, murmurs, abnormal ECG findings or in the follow-up of athletes with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). TTE is a cost-effective first-line imaging modality to evaluate the cardiac remodeling due to long-term, intense training, previously known as the athlete's heart, and to rule out the presence of conditions at risk of sudden cardiac death, including cardiomyopathies, coronary artery anomalies, congenital, aortic and heart valve diseases. Moreover, TTE is useful for distinguishing physiological cardiac adaptations during intense exercise from pathological behavior due to an underlying CVD. In this expert opinion statement endorsed by the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology, we discussed common clinical scenarios where a TTE is required and conditions falling in the grey zone between the athlete's heart and underlying cardiomyopathies or other CVD. In addition, we propose a minimum dataset that should be included in the report for the most common indications of TTE in sports cardiology clinical practice.

Computed tomography imaging in preprocedural planning of transcatheter valvular heart interventions.

Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) has become a reliable imaging modality in cardiology providing robust information on the morphology and structure of the heart with high temporal and isotropic spatial resolution. For the past decade, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of valvular heart disease since previously unfavorable candidates for surgery are now provided with less-invasive interventions. Transcatheter heart valve interventions provide a real alternative to medical and surgical management and are often the only treatment option for valvular heart disease patients. Successful transcatheter valve interventions rely on comprehensive multimodality imaging assessment. CCT is the mainstay imaging technique for preprocedural planning of these interventions. CCT is critical in guiding patient selection, choice of procedural access, device selection, procedural guidance, as well as allowing postprocedural follow-up of complications. This article aims to review the current evidence of the role of CCT in the preprocedural planning of patients undergoing transcatheter valvular interventions.

Insights into the Inherited Basis of Valvular Heart Disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Increases in the availability of genetic data and advances in the tools and methods for their analyses have enabled well-powered genetic association studies that have significantly enhanced our understanding of the genetic factors underlying both rare and common valve diseases. Valvular heart diseases, such as congenital valve malformations and degenerative valve lesions, increase the risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death. In this review, we provide an updated overview of our current understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying valvular heart diseases. With a focus on discoveries from the past 5 years, we describe recent insights into genetic risk and underlying biological pathways. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently acquired knowledge around valvular heart disease genetics has provided important insights into novel mechanisms related to disease pathogenesis. Newly identified risk loci associated valvular heart disease mainly regulate the composition of the extracellular matrix, accelerate the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, contribute to cilia formation processes, and play roles in lipid metabolism. Large-scale genomic analyses have identified numerous risk loci, genes, and biological pathways associated with degenerative valve disease and congenital valve malformations. Shared risk genes suggest common mechanistic pathways for various valve pathologies. More recent studies have combined cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and machine learning to offer a novel approach for exploring genotype-phenotype relationships regarding valve disease. Progress in the field holds promise for targeted prevention, particularly through the application of polygenic risk scores, and innovative therapies based on the biological mechanisms for predominant forms of valvular heart diseases.

Clinical Midterm Results of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement with Sutureless Valves.

Background: Sutureless aortic valves may enable shorter procedure times, which benefits patients with elevated surgical risk. We describe the outcomes of patients with aortic stenosis who underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) using the sutureless Perceval aortic bioprosthesis. Methods: Data from a retrospective cohort were obtained from a clinical database. The study enrolled patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent surgical AVR with a sutureless bioprosthesis between August 2015 and December 2020. In total, 113 patients were included (mean age, 75.3±8.4 years; 57.5% women; median Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, 9.7%; mean follow-up period, 51.19±20.6 months). Of these patients, 41 were octogenarians (36.2%) and 3 were nonagenarians (2.6%). Transthoracic echocardiography was employed to assess changes in ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and mean pressure gradient (MPG). Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.6%, and 13 patients developed new-onset atrial fibrillation. A permanent pacemaker was implanted in 3 patients (2.6%). The median intensive care unit stay was 1 day (interquartile range [IQR], 1-2 days), and the median hospital stay was 12 days (IQR, 9.5-15 days). The overall survival rate at 5 years was 95.9%. LVMI and MPG were reduced postoperatively, while EF increased over the follow-up period. No structural valve deterioration was observed, and no meaningful paravalvular leakage developed during follow-up. Conclusion: The use of a sutureless valve in the aortic position is safe and feasible, even for high-risk elderly patients requiring surgical AVR. LVMI and MPG decreased postoperatively, while EF increased over the follow-up period.

Prótesis mitral mecánica disfuncionante: cuando el trombo sobre pannus dificulta el diagnóstico / Dysfunctioning mechanical mitral valve prosthesis: When thrombus over pannus makes hinders diagnosis

La obstrucción de una válvula protésica es una complicación rara pero que puede ser letal. Las causas más frecuentes son la formación de trombos y pannus, en ausencia de datos infecciosos. El diagnóstico no siempre es sencillo recurriendo a la realización de tomografía computarizada (TC) cardiaca, y en el 46-85% de los casos coexisten trombo y pannus, por lo que el diagnóstico se complica. Un diagnóstico rápido es esencial para evitar un desenlace fatal de esta patología, cuya mortalidad, a pesar de un tratamiento correcto, es elevada.(AU)

Prosthetic valve obstruction is a rare but potentially lethal complication. The most frequent causes are thrombus and pannus formation, in the absence of infectious data. Diagnosis is not always easy using cardiac CT scanning and in 46-85% of cases thrombus and pannus coexist, complicating the diagnosis. A rapid diagnosis is essential to avoid a fatal outcome of this pathology whose mortality, despite correct treatment, is high.(AU)

Tricuspid regurgitation: Frequency, clinical presentation, management and outcome among patients with severe left-sided valvular heart disease in Europe. Insights from the ESC-EORP Valvular Heart Disease II survey.

AIMS: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is commonly observed in patients with severe left-sided valvular heart disease (VHD). This study sought to assess TR frequency, management and outcome in this population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 6883 patients with severe native left-sided VHD or previous left-sided valvular intervention enrolled in the EURObservational Research Programme prospective VHD II survey, moderate or severe TR was very frequent in patients with severe mitral VHD (30% when mitral stenosis, 36% when mitral regurgitation [MR]), especially in patients with secondary MR (46%), and rare in patients with severe aortic VHD (4% when aortic stenosis, 3% when aortic regurgitation). An increase in TR grade was associated with a more severe clinical presentation and a poorer 6-month survival (p < 0.0001). Rates of concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) intervention at the time of left-sided heart valve surgery were high at the time of mitral valve surgery (50% when mitral stenosis, 41% when MR). Concordance between class I indications (patients with severe TR) for concomitant TV surgery at the time of left-sided valvular heart surgery according to guidelines and real-practice decision-making was very good (88% overall, 95% in patients operated on for MR). CONCLUSION: In this large international prospective survey among patients with severe left-sided VHD, moderate/severe TR was frequent in patients with mitral valve disease and was associated with a poorer outcome as TR grade increased. In patients with severe TR, compliance to guidelines for class I indications for concomitant TV surgery at the time of left-sided heart valve surgery was very good.

Dysfunctioning mechanical mitral valve prosthesis: When thrombus over pannus makes hinders diagnosis.

Prosthetic valve obstruction is a rare but potentially lethal complication. The most frequent causes are thrombus and pannus formation, in the absence of infectious data. Diagnosis is not always easy using cardiac CT scanning and in 46%-85% of cases thrombus and pannus coexist, complicating the diagnosis. A rapid diagnosis is essential to avoid a fatal outcome of this pathology whose mortality, despite correct treatment, is high.

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve the Readability of Patient Education Materials on Aortic Stenosis? A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) dialogue platforms and large language models (LLMs) may help facilitate ongoing efforts to improve health literacy. Additionally, recent studies have highlighted inadequate health literacy among patients with cardiac disease. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether two freely available generative AI dialogue platforms could rewrite online aortic stenosis (AS) patient education materials (PEMs) to meet recommended reading skill levels for the public. METHODS: Online PEMs were gathered from a professional cardiothoracic surgical society and academic institutions in the USA. PEMs were then inputted into two AI-powered LLMs, ChatGPT-3.5 and Bard, with the prompt "translate to 5th-grade reading level". Readability of PEMs before and after AI conversion was measured using the validated Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index (SMOGI), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI) scores. RESULTS: Overall, 21 PEMs on AS were gathered. Original readability measures indicated difficult readability at the 10th-12th grade reading level. ChatGPT-3.5 successfully improved readability across all four measures (p < 0.001) to the approximately 6th-7th grade reading level. Bard successfully improved readability across all measures (p < 0.001) except for SMOGI (p = 0.729) to the approximately 8th-9th grade level. Neither platform generated PEMs written below the recommended 6th-grade reading level. ChatGPT-3.5 demonstrated significantly more favorable post-conversion readability scores, percentage change in readability scores, and conversion time compared to Bard (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: AI dialogue platforms can enhance the readability of PEMs for patients with AS but may not fully meet recommended reading skill levels, highlighting potential tools to help strengthen cardiac health literacy in the future.

Matched comparison of decellularized homografts and bovine jugular vein conduits for pulmonary valve replacement in congenital heart disease.

For decades, bovine jugular vein conduits (BJV) and classic cryopreserved homografts have been the two most widely used options for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in congenital heart disease. More recently, decellularized pulmonary homografts (DPH) have provided an alternative avenue for PVR. Matched comparison of patients who received DPH for PVR with patients who received bovine jugular vein conduits (BJV) considering patient age group, type of heart defect, and previous procedures. 319 DPH patients were matched to 319 BJV patients; the mean age of BJV patients was 15.3 (SD 9.5) years versus 19.1 (12.4) years in DPH patients (p = 0.001). The mean conduit diameter was 24.5 (3.5) mm for DPH and 20.3 (2.5) mm for BJV (p < 0.001). There was no difference in survival rates between the two groups after 10 years (97.0 vs. 98.1%, p = 0.45). The rate of freedom from endocarditis was significantly lower for BJV patients (87.1 vs. 96.5%, p = 0.006). Freedom from explantation was significantly lower for BJV at 10 years (81.7 vs. 95.5%, p = 0.001) as well as freedom from any significant degeneration at 10 years (39.6 vs. 65.4%, p < 0.001). 140 Patients, matched for age, heart defect type, prior procedures, and conduit sizes of 20-22 mm (± 2 mm), were compared separately; mean age BJV 8.7 (4.9) and DPH 9.5 (7.3) years (p = n.s.). DPH showed 20% higher freedom from explantation and degeneration in this subgroup (p = 0.232). Decellularized pulmonary homografts exhibit superior 10-year results to bovine jugular vein conduits in PVR.

Clinical correlates of circulating small dense low-density lipoproteins in acute infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a complex thrombo-inflammatory disorder, the pathogenesis of which involves a multifaceted interplay between vascular damage and bacterial virulence factors. This study aimed to assess the prognostic role of small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) cholesterol in patients with IE and its correlation with various disease-related features. METHODS: A cohort of 198 patients with definite IE was included in this study. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters were meticulously analyzed, with a specific focus on comorbidities. sdLDL levels were measured using stored plasma samples obtained upon admission during the acute phase of the disease. RESULTS: The median level of sdLDL was 24 mg/dL [with an interquartile range of 17.9-35.2 mg/dL], and this value showed a statistically significant positive correlation with LDL/HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (p < 0.01 for all). Furthermore, a remarkable inverse correlation between C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels was observed (p < 0.0001). Univariate analysis revealed that patients with sdLDL levels ≤ 24 mg/dL had 2.75 times higher odds of in-hospital mortality (95% Confidence Interval:1.08-6.98, p = 0.031). In addition, nonsurvivors had significantly lower median sdLDL levels (19.7 vs. 26.0 mg/dL, p = 0.041). Lower sdLDL levels were also associated with embolic complications, larger vegetation size, and positive blood cultures for Staphylococci (p = 0.019, p = 0.022, and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Low circulating sdLDL levels in the acute phase of IE were significantly correlated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. These results suggest that the sdLDL level may serve as an important marker of disease severity in IE and may represent a link between vascular damage, embolic complications, and disease progression.

Patient preferences for heart valve disease intervention.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine how patients trade-off the benefits and risks of two different types of procedures used to treat heart valve disease (HVD). It also aimed to determine patients' preferences for HVD treatments (predicted uptake) and the relative importance of each treatment attribute. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in Australia and Japan with patients who required a heart valve procedure. Patients were stratified into three categories: no prior procedure experience, minimally invasive procedure experience and invasive procedure experience. DCE attributes included risk of mortality; risk of stroke; needing dialysis; needing a new pacemaker; valve durability; independence 1 month after surgery; and out-of-pocket expenses. Participants chose between two hypothetical labelled approaches to therapy ('invasive procedure' and 'minimally invasive procedure'), with a separate opt-out included. A mixed multinomial logit model was used to analyse preferences. RESULTS: The DCE was completed by 143 Australian and 206 Japanese patients. Both populations demonstrated an overall preference for the minimally invasive procedure over the invasive procedure. All attributes tested significantly predicted choice and were important to patient decision-making. However, patients' choices were most influenced by the durability of the valve and the likelihood of independence postprocedure, irrespective of their prior procedure experience. Differences in preference were observed between Australian and Japanese patients; valve durability was the most important attribute among Australian patients, while Japanese patients emphasised regaining independence postsurgery. Risk of mortality was less important relative to other key attributes in Japan; however, it remained significant to the model. CONCLUSIONS: HVD patients prefer a minimally invasive procedure over an invasive procedure, irrespective of prior treatment experience. Key attributes contributing to treatment preferences are valve durability and faster recovery. These results can be used to help inform healthcare decision-makers about what features of heart valve procedures patients value most. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: People with lived experience of HVD were included in multiple stages of the design phase of this research. First, patients and doctors were consulted by taking part in qualitative interviews. The qualitative interviews helped inform which treatment attributes to include in the DCE based on what was important to those with lived experience and those who help make treatment decisions on behalf of patients. Qualitative interview participants also assisted with the framing of questions in the online survey to ensure the terminology was patient-friendly and relevant to those with lived experience. Following qualitative interviews, the DCE attribute list was agreed on in expert consultation with a steering committee, which included patient representatives and treating physicians (interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons). The survey was also pilot tested with a small sample of patients and minor adjustments were made to the wording to ensure it was appropriate and meaningful to those with lived experience of HVD.

[Detection method of early heart valve diseases based on heart sound features].

Heart valve disease (HVD) is one of the common cardiovascular diseases. Heart sound is an important physiological signal for diagnosing HVDs. This paper proposed a model based on combination of basic component features and envelope autocorrelation features to detect early HVDs. Initially, heart sound signals lasting 5 minutes were denoised by empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm and segmented. Then the basic component features and envelope autocorrelation features of heart sound segments were extracted to construct heart sound feature set. Then the max-relevance and min-redundancy (MRMR) algorithm was utilized to select the optimal mixed feature subset. Finally, decision tree, support vector machine (SVM) and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers were trained to detect the early HVDs from the normal heart sounds and obtained the best accuracy of 99.9% in clinical database. Normal valve, abnormal semilunar valve and abnormal atrioventricular valve heart sounds were classified and the best accuracy was 99.8%. Moreover, normal valve, single-valve abnormal and multi-valve abnormal heart sounds were classified and the best accuracy was 98.2%. In public database, this method also obtained the good overall accuracy. The result demonstrated this proposed method had important value for the clinical diagnosis of early HVDs.

Tricuspid Edge-to-Edge Repair Versus Tricuspid Valve Replacement for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tricuspid valve (TV) repair techniques other than annuloplasty remain challenging and frequently end in tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) in complicated cases. However, the results of TVR are suboptimal compared with TV repair. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of TV edge-to-edge repair (E2E) compared to TVR for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 230 patients with severe TR who underwent E2E (n=139) or TVR (n=91) from 2001 to 2020. Clinical and echocardiographic results were analyzed using inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis and propensity score matching. RESULTS: The two groups showed no significant differences in early mortality and morbidities. During the mean follow-up of 106.2±68.8 months, late severe TR and TV reoperation rates were not significantly different between groups. E2E group, however, showed better outcomes in overall survival (p=0.023), freedom from significant tricuspid stenosis (TS) (trans-tricuspid pressure gradient ≥5 mmHg, p=0.021), and freedom from TV-related events (p<0.001). Matched analysis showed consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: E2E for severe TR presented more favorable clinical outcomes than TVR. Our study supports that E2E might be a valuable option in severe TR surgery, avoiding TVR.

Influence of diabetes mellitus on the pathological profile of aortic stenosis: a sex-based approach.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerates the progression of aortic stenosis (AS), but how their underlying molecular mechanisms interact is not clear. Moreover, whether DM contributes to clinically relevant sex-differences in AS is unknown. In this work we aim to characterize the sex-specific profile of major pathological mechanisms fundamental to aortic valve (AV) degeneration in AS patients with or without concomitant DM. METHODS: 283 patients with severe AS undergoing surgical valve replacement (27.6% DM, 59.4% men) were recruited. Expression of pathological markers related to AS were thoroughly assessed in AVs and valve interstitial cells (VICs) according to sex and presence of DM. Complementary in vitro experiments in VICs in the presence of high-glucose levels (25 mM) for 24, 48 and 72 h were performed. RESULTS: Oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction markers were increased in AVs from diabetic AS patients compared to non-diabetic patients in both sexes. However, disbalanced oxidative stress and enhanced inflammation were more predominant in AVs from male AS diabetic patients. Osteogenic markers were exclusively increased in the AVs of diabetic women. Basal characterization of VICs confirmed that oxidative stress, inflammation, calcification, and metabolic alteration profiles were increased in diabetic VICs with sex-specific differences. VICs cultured in hyperglycemic-like conditions triggered inflammatory responses in men, whereas in women rapid and higher production of pro-osteogenic molecules. CONCLUSIONS: DM produces sex-specific pathological phenotypes in AV of AS patients. Importantly, women with diabetes are more prone to develop AV calcification. DM should be considered as a risk factor in AS especially in women.

Single Coronary Artery with Severe Coronary Artery Disease and Aortic Valve Disease.

Coronary artery malformations are rare in the clinic. When with severe atherosclerosis, there is an additional risk. Specific coronary artery malformations, such as single right coronary artery, may be involved in the arteriosclerotic process, especially when accompanied by significant coronary artery tortuosity. It will remarkably challenge the treatment. We report a case of a single right coronary artery with severe stenosis and heart valve disease. She successfully underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement.