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Pericardial agenesis is a rarely seen congenital defect characterised by the partial or, more rarely complete, absence of the pericardium. Most often asymptomatic, it is usually incidentally discovered following the demonstration of heart's laevorotation on imaging, in the operating room or at autopsy. In this article, we report the case of an 80-year-old patient with asymptomatic complete pericardial agenesis fortuitous discovered. Pericardial agenesis observations are extremely uncommon reported in the literature, which substantiate its original epidemiological character. In addition, this observation brings some clinical, electrical as well as iconographic elements to better understand the pathology and raises clinical suspicions. Finally, this case report confirms the exceptionally symptomatic nature of the pathology, illustrating the irrelevance of treatment or specific follow-up.

Background: There are limited data on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in solid organ transplant patients, especially in heart transplant recipients, with only a few case reports and case series described so far. Heart transplant recipients may be at particular high risk due to their comorbidities and immunosuppressed state., Case Presentation: This report describes the clinical course and the challenging management of early COVID-19 infection in two heart transplant recipients who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the perioperative period of the transplant procedure. The two patients developed a severe form of the disease and ultimately died despite the initiation of an antiviral monotherapy with hydroxychloroquine coupled with the interruption of mycophenolate mofetil., Conclusions: These two cases illustrate the severity and poor prognosis of COVID-19 in the perioperative period of a heart transplant. Thorough screening of donors and recipients is mandatory, and the issue of asymptomatic carriers needs to be addressed.

Aims: To obtain the normal range for 2D echocardiographic (2DE) measurements of left ventricular (LV) layer-specific strain from a large group of healthy volunteers of both genders over a wide range of ages., Methods and Results: A total of 287 (109 men, mean age: 46 ± 14 years) healthy subjects were enrolled at 22 collaborating institutions of the EACVI Normal Reference Ranges for Echocardiography (NORRE) study. Layer-specific strain was analysed from the apical two-, three-, and four-chamber views using 2DE software. The lowest values of layer-specific strain calculated as ±1.96 standard deviations from the mean were -15.0% in men and -15.6% in women for epicardial strain, -16.8% and -17.7% for mid-myocardial strain, and -18.7% and -19.9% for endocardial strain, respectively. Basal-epicardial and mid-myocardial strain decreased with age in women (epicardial; P = 0.008, mid-myocardial; P = 0.003) and correlated with age (epicardial; r = -0.20, P = 0.007, mid-myocardial; r = -0.21, P = 0.006, endocardial; r = -0.23, P = 0.002), whereas apical-epicardial, mid-myocardial strain increased with the age in women (epicardial; P = 0.006, mid-myocardial; P = 0.03) and correlated with age (epicardial; r = 0.16, P = 0.04). End/Epi ratio at the apex was higher than at the middle and basal levels of LV in men (apex; 1.6 ± 0.2, middle; 1.2 ± 0.1, base 1.1 ± 0.1) and women (apex; 1.6 ± 0.1, middle; 1.1 ± 0.1, base 1.2 ± 0.1)., Conclusion: The NORRE study provides useful 2DE reference ranges for novel indices of layer-specific strain., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Several clinical reports indicate that the use of amphetaminic anorectic drugs or ergot derivatives could cause valvular heart disease (VHD). We sought to investigate whether valvular lesions develop in response to long-term oral administration of these drugs and to identify drug-targeted biological processes that may lead to VHD. Treatment of New Zealand White rabbits with pergolide, dexfenfluramine, or high-dose serotonin for 16 weeks induced valvular alterations characterized by extracellular matrix remodeling. Transcriptome profiling of tricuspid valves using RNA sequencing revealed distinct patterns of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that clustered according to the different treatments. Genes that were affected by the three treatments were functionally enriched for reduced cell metabolism processes. The two drugs yielded more changes in gene expression than serotonin and shared most of the DEGs. These DEGs were mostly enriched for decreased biosynthetic processes, increased cell-matrix interaction, and cell response to growth factors, including TGF-β, which was associated with p38 MAPK activation. Treatment with pergolide specifically affected genes involved in homeostasis, which was corroborated by the activation of the master regulator of cell energy homeostasis, AMPK-α, as well as decreased levels of metabolism-related miR-107. Thus, both pergolide and dexfenfluramine may cause VHD through valve metabolic reprogramming and matrix remodeling., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Clinical evidence indicates that innate immune cells may contribute to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Our prospective study aimed at investigating the association of neutrophil phenotypes with ACS. 108 patients were categorized into chronic stable coronary artery disease ( n = 37), unstable angina (UA) ( n = 19), Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) ( n = 25), and ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) ( n = 27). At the time of inclusion, blood neutrophil subpopulations were analysed by flow cytometry. Differential blood cell count and plasma levels of neutrophilic soluble markers were recorded at admission and, for half of patients, at six-month follow-up. STEMI and NSTEMI patients displayed higher neutrophil count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio than stable and UA patients ( p < 0.0001), which normalized at six-month post-MI. Atypical low-density neutrophils were detected in the blood of the four patient groups. STEMI patients were characterized by elevated percentages of band cells compared to the other patients ( p = 0.019). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma levels of total myeloperoxidase was associated with STEMI compared to stable (OR: 1.434; 95% CI: 1.119-1.837; P < 0.0001), UA (1.47; 1.146-1.886; p = 0.002), and NSTEMI (1.213; 1.1-1.134; p = 0.0001) patients, while increased neutrophil side scatter (SSC) signal intensity was associated with NSTEMI compared to stable patients (3.828; 1.033-14.184; p = 0.045). Hence, changes in neutrophil phenotype are concomitant to ACS.

Aim: To investigate the effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on early recovery of global and segmental myocardial function in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and to determine if parameters of deformation correlate with outcomes., Methods: The echocardiographic (strain analysis) and outcome (hospitalizations because of heart failure and mortality) data of 62 consecutive patients with preserved LVEF (64.54 ± 7.97%) who underwent CoreValve prosthesis implantation were examined., Results: Early after TAVI (5 ± 3.9 days), no significant changes in LVEF or diastolic function were found, while a significant drop of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) occurred (42.3 ± 14.9 vs. 38.1 ± 13.9 mmHg, P = 0.028). After TAVI global longitudinal strain (GLS) did not change significantly, whereas significant improvement in global mid-level left ventricular (LV) radial strain (GRS) was found (-16.71 ± 2.42 vs. -17.32 ± 3.25%; P = 0.33; 16.57 ± 6.6 vs. 19.48 ± 5.97%, P = 0.018, respectively). Early significant recovery of longitudinal strain was found in basal lateral and anteroseptal segments (P = 0.038 and 0.048). Regional radial strain at the level of papillary muscles [P = 0.038 mid-lateral, P < 0.001 mid-anteroseptum (RSAS)] also improved. There was a significant LV mass index reduction in the late follow-up (152.42 ± 53.21 vs. 136.24 ± 56.67 g/m, P = 0.04). Mean follow-up period was 3.5 ± 1.9 years. Parameters associated with worse outcomes in univariable analysis were RSAS pre-TAVI, LV end-diastolic diameter after TAVI, relative wall thickness, and mitral E and E/A after TAVI., Conclusion: Global and regional indices of myocardial function improved early after TAVI, suggesting the potential of myocardium to recover with a reduced risk for clinical deterioration.

Aim: Heart failure (HF) poses a unique medical burden of high morbidity and mortality. Elevated resting heart rate (HR) is associated with worse outcomes in chronic HF, but little is known about the prognostic impact of serial HR measurement during hospital stay after acute HF. We examined the association between HR obtained at admission at Day 4 and at discharge and long-term mortality in a cohort of 672 patients discharge from hospital after management of acute HF., Methods and Results: All patients examined were in sinus rhythm. HR was derived from electrocardiogram and was defined as the first reported HR in the medical record. At 1 year follow up, 60 patients died. Median HR was 86 ± 17 b.p.m. (first tertile: 75 b.p.m., third tertile: 97 b.p.m.) at admission, 76 ± 14 b.p.m. (first tertile: 67 b.p.m., third tertile 85 b.p.m.) at Day 4, and 72 ± 11 b.p.m. (first tertile: 64 b.p.m., third tertile 80 b.p.m.) at discharge. Patients who died were significantly older (75 ± 11 vs. 71 ± 12 years; P = 0.027), had more frequently a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy (n = 34/60, P = 0.012) and of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 26/60, P = 0.027), had higher admission N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (14 572 ± 21 600 vs. 7647 ± 7964 pg/ml; P = 0.027), had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P < 0.05), haemoglobin level (10.6 ± 2.2 vs. 12.2 ± 2.2 g/L; P = 0.005), albumin level (35.2 ± 4.3 vs 37.1 ± 4.1 g/dl; P = 0.003) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (47 ± 21 vs. 60 ± 28 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ; P = 0.0017). There were no significant differences between survivors and nonsurvivors in left ventricular ejection, the use of beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor, and the rate of comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes) (P=NS, for all). HR at admission was not significantly associated with 1 year mortality (P = 0.20), whereas there was a significant increase in 1 year mortality for HRs>85 b.p.m. at Day 4 (P < 0.0001) and > 80 b.p.m. at discharge (P < 0.0001). In the multivariable model that included the third tertile at Day 4 and discharge HR and adjusted for all other significant covariates, haemoglobin (P = 0.019), and HR at Day 4 (P = 0.023) were independently associated with 1 year mortality. When only discharge HR was included haemoglobin (P = 0.0004) and HR at discharge (P = 0.00053) remained independently associated with 1 year mortality., Conclusions: In patients surviving the acute HF phase, a high HR at Day 4, and at a lesser degree at discharge, but not at admission, is a strong predictor of 1 year mortality., (© 2019 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

The functional integrity of the endothelium is essential for vascular health. In addition to maintaining a delicate balance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction, the endothelium has numerous other complex roles involved in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. Chronic exposure to cardiovascular risk factors and oxidative stress results in an imbalance in these functions, creating an environment that favors reduced vasodilation and a proinflammatory and prothrombic state. The involvement of endothelial dysfunction in all stages of the cardiovascular continuum makes it an important target for treatment. One of the major endothelial-derived factors involved in the maintenance of endothelial function is nitric oxide (NO). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors increase NO production both directly and indirectly by preventing production of angiotensin II (which diminishes NO production) and inhibiting the degradation of bradykinin (which stimulates local release of NO). Among the ACE inhibitors, perindopril appears to have the greatest effects on bradykinin and has demonstrated efficacy in a number of markers of endothelial dysfunction including arterial stiffness and progression of atherosclerosis. There is also strong evidence supporting the use of perindopril-based therapy for the treatment of hypertension and for reducing the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients across the cardiovascular continuum.Funding: The journal's Rapid Service Fee was funded by Servier.