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Background: In recent years, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as a pivotal treatment for pure native aortic regurgitation (PNAR). Given patients with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) are prone to suffer from pulmonary hypertension (PH), understanding TAVR’s efficacy in this context is crucial. This study aims to explore the short-term prognosis of TAVR in PNAR patients with concurrent PH. Methods: Patients with PNAR undergoing TAVR at Zhongshan Hospital, Affiliated with Fudan University, were enrolled between June 2018 to June 2023. They were categorized based on pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) into groups with or without PH. The baseline characteristics, imaging records, and follow-up data were collected. Results: Among the 103 patients recruited, 48 were afflicted with PH. In comparison to PNAR patients without PH, the PH group exhibited higher rates of renal dysfunction (10.4% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.014), increased Society of Thoracic Surgeons scores (6.4 ± 1.9 vs. 4.7 ± 1.6, p < 0.001), and elevated Nterminal fragment of pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Transthoracic ultrasound examination revealed that patients with PH displayed lower left ventricular ejection fraction, larger left ventricle dimension, and more frequent moderate to severe tcuspid regurgitation (TR). Following TAVR, both groups experienced significant reductions in PASP, mitral regurgitation (MR) and TR. There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative adverse events in patients with or without PH. Conclusions: We found TAVR to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with PNAR and PH, reducing the degree of aortic regurgitation and PH without increasing the risk of postoperative adverse events.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) was a protective factor in the cardiovascular system. Previous studies showed that hypoxia led to decreased COMP in rat models of pulmonary hypertension. However, the expression pattern of COMP in the pulmonary hypertension population was unclear. A total of 35 patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and 70 controls were enrolled in the study. Circulating COMP concentrations of serum samples were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and were analyzed the association with multiple clinical variables. Serum COMP concentrations in the pulmonary hypertension group were significantly declined in comparison with age‐ and sex‐matched normal controls, especially in the female subgroup. No significant difference of COMP concentrations was observed in the etiological classification, heart function classification, and risk stratification. Major hemodynamic parameters, six‐minute walk distance, N‐terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide, and short‐term prognosis were not statistically associated with COMP. However, some echocardiography parameters, like tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and mean right atrial pressure, were found the negative relation to COMP concentrations. In conclusion, serum COMP levels were decreased in the patients with pulmonary hypertension, which was in accordance with its known biological effects. Its association with long‐term prognosis was worth further exploring.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an important and major player in the pathophysiology of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Recently, PCSK9 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Whether PCSK9 is involved in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between PCSK9 and IPAH. Serum PCSK9, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐1 β (IL‐1β), and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed among 40 IPAH patients and 20 control subjects. Hemodynamic data were collected via right heart catheterization in patients with IPAH. Serum PCSK9, TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, and MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in IPAH patients than in control subjects (p

Objectives: Patients undergoing trans-carotid transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TC-TAVR) are more likely to suffer from a stroke because of cerebral blood hypoperfusion and blood occlusion caused by the introducer sheath compared with the trans-femoral (TF) approach. The present study aimed to compare the incidence of stroke between the TC and TF approaches and explore the causes of stroke after TAVR. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 414 consecutive patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who underwent TC- or TF-TAVR at our center from October 2010 to November 2019; these patients were included in this observational study. The clinical data, such as the incidence of stroke, were compared between TC- and TF-TAVR patients. The correlation between carotid artery blood block interval (CABBI) and neurological events was also analyzed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University (approval No. YL2014-32). Results: Patients undergoing TC-TAVR had a significantly higher incidence of stroke than those undergoing TF-TAVR (12.5% vs. 0, P < 0.001), whereas the baseline data and the incidence of other complications did not differ significantly between the patients undergoing TC- and TF-TAVR (P > 0.05). Moreover, in TC-TAVR patients, the average CABBI of stroke was significantly longer than that of nonstroke patients (61.7 ± 20.7 min vs. 25.1 ± 1.6 min, P = 0.001). The number of patients with CABBI >30 min in the stroke group was greater than that in the nonstroke group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In the absence of the cerebral and carotid artery evaluation before TAVR, surgeons should take into consideration the time of CABBI