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Limited data exist on the prevalence and prognosis of isolated posterior ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), revealed with a posterior chest lead. Furthermore, the utility of a synthesized-V7–9 lead in the diagnosis of STEMI is unclear; therefore, we aimed to evaluate its usefulness. We enrolled 142 consecutive patients with STEMI with the culprit lesion on the left circumflex artery (STEMI-LCx) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between January 2009 and December 2019. We retrospectively checked the ST-segment change of both standard 12-lead and synthesized-V7–9 lead in all patients with STEMI-LCx. Based on electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, isolated posterior STEMI that was only revealed in synthesized-V7–9 lead was classified as "STEMI-LCx-synV7–9" and the remaining as "STEMI-LCx-12ECG." The prevalence of STEMI-LCx-synV7–9 in patients with STEMI-LCx was assessed. The incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, and mechanical complications within 30 days, 3 months, and 1 year was also assessed according to each STEMI-LCx. STEMI-LCx-synV7–9 and STEMI-LCx-12ECG occurred in 10 (7.0%) and 132 (93.0%) patients, respectively. No significant difference was found in patients' characteristics between the two groups. The patients with STEMI-LCx-synV7–9 had significantly higher incidences of cardiac death within 3 months and 1 year (30.0% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.031, 30.0% vs. 7.6%, P = 0.050, respectively) and mechanical complications in each follow-up period (20.0% vs. 1.5%, P = 0.025) than those with STEMI-LCx-12ECG. STEMI-LCx-synV7–9 was observed in 7.0% of the patients with STEMI-LCx. Our findings suggest that the synthesized-V7–9 lead helps diagnose isolated posterior STEMI and might improve prognosis in patients with STEMI-LCx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although short-term mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has improved, data is limited regarding very long-term mortality and concomitant clinical events in STEMI survivors who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI). This study aimed to evaluate these parameters at 15 years and to determine the predictors of 15-year mortality in these patients.Methods: The study endpoints were all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality at 15 years. Independent predictors of all-cause mortality were also analyzed. Furthermore, each thrombotic and bleeding event was evaluated.Results: Between January 2004 and December 2006, 260 STEMI survivors who underwent p-PCI (median follow-up period: 3970 days) were evaluated from the Ogaki Municipal hospital registry. The rates of all-cause mortality (cardiac mortality) at 5, 10, and 15 years were 12.1% (4.9%), 23.4% (9.5%), and 34.9% (12.4%), respectively. The cumulative incidences of recurrent myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic bleeding, and gastric bleeding at 15 years were 11.3%, 43.6%, 14.3%, 6.9%, and 10.9%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that age ≥ 75 years [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 7.074, p < 0.001], chronic kidney disease (aHR, 2.320, p = 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (aHR, 2.930, p = 0.001), Killip class ≥II at admission (aHR, 2.639, p = 0.003), untreated chronic total occlusion (aHR, 2.090, p = 0.042), and final TIMI grade ≤ 2 (aHR, 1.736, p = 0.048) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that all-cause and cardiac mortality at 15 years were 34.9% and 12.4%, respectively, in all-comers STEMI survivors after p-PCI, indicating that STEMI survivors might have a benign prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis is a rare, but potentially fatal, immune-related adverse event. Hence, identifying biomarkers is critical for selecting and managing patients receiving ICI treatment. Serum autoantibodies (AAbs) in patients with ICI myocarditis may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting, diagnosing, and prognosing ICI myocarditis. We conducted a pilot study using a human proteome microarray with approximately 17,000 unique full-length human proteins to investigate AAbs associated with ICI myocarditis., Methods and Results: AAb profiling was performed using sera collected from three patients with ICI myocarditis before the start of ICI treatment and immediately after myocarditis onset. All patients received anti-programmed death-1 antibody monotherapy. At baseline, 116, 296, and 154 autoantigens reacted positively to immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the serum samples from Cases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Among these proteins, the recombination signal-binding protein for the immunoglobulin kappa J region (RBPJ) was recognized by all three samples, and 32 autoantigens were recognized by any two of the three samples. At the onset of ICI myocarditis, compared to baseline, 48, 114, and 5 autoantigens reacted more strongly with IgG in the serum samples from Cases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Among these, antibodies against eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 3 (EIF4EBP3) were the most upregulated, with a 38-fold increase. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses highlighted that B-cell receptor signaling, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and thymus development were among the most affected pathways. Enrichment analyses using DisGeNET revealed that proteins reacting to AAbs detected in patients with ICI myocarditis are associated with several diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy and muscle weakness., Conclusions: This pilot study provides the first integrated analysis of serum AAb profiling in patients with ICI myocarditis and identifies novel candidate markers associated with an increased risk of developing ICI myocarditis and its pathogenesis. However, our results require further independent validation in clinical trials involving a larger number of patients., Competing Interests: KT received honoraria lecture fees from Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Ono Pharmaceutical, Chugai, and AstraZeneca. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Xu, Murakoshi, Yuan, Imaoka and Tajiri.)

Aims: We aimed to examine the benefits of catheter ablation in patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), in comparison with the benefits in patients with AF accompanied by HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or patients with no HF., Methods and Results: From 1173 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation, 502 with non-paroxysmal AF were divided into three groups: no history of HF [plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) <100 pg/mL and no HF hospitalization; n = 125], HFpEF [left ventricular (LV) EF ≥50%; n = 293], and HF with midrange EF (HFmrEF) + HFrEF (LVEF <50%; n = 84) groups. The endpoints were AF recurrence at 1 year, changes in symptomatic and image-based functional status, and changes in BNP levels from baseline to 1 year. In the HFpEF group, AF recurred in 48 patients (16.4%) and 278 patients (94.8%) had sinus rhythm at 1 year; these values were comparable with those in the other groups. Significant improvement was observed in the left atrial diameter, LVEF, and New York Heart Association functional class in the HFpEF and HFmrEF + HFrEF groups. The BNP level significantly decreased irrespective of the index rate control status, and freedom from AF recurrence was an independent predictor of HF remission, defined as BNP <100 pg/mL at 1 year, in the HFpEF group., Conclusion: Catheter ablation is highly feasible for restoring sinus rhythm in non-paroxysmal AF with coexisting HFpEF, thereby improving cardiac function and BNP levels. Catheter ablation for AF may be an optional management strategy., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Acute coronary syndrome caused by unprotected left main coronary artery (ACS-ULMCA) occlusion has a high mortality due to the formation of plaques and rich thrombi. Although excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) is effective in debulking and ablation of plaque burden and rich thrombi, its effectiveness in ACS-ULMCA remains unknown., Case Summary: We conducted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using ELCA for six patients with ACS-ULMCA from February 2016 to May 2019. This case series includes a 65-year-old man who presented with sudden-onset chest pain. Angiography revealed subtotal occlusion of the left main coronary artery (LMCA). The use of a 0.9-mm ELCA catheter advanced from LMCA to the left anterior descending artery markedly improved coronary blood flow, and intravascular ultrasound revealed debulking of the plaque and thrombus. Another 79-year-old man presented with chest pain. Angiography revealed total occlusion of LMCA. Use of a 0.9-mm ELCA catheter improved coronary blood flow. Subsequent kissing balloon technique led to satisfactory results. All cases needed mechanical support (such as intra-aortic balloon pumping or percutaneous cardiopulmonary support) prior to PCI. Five patients survived finally, and one died 34 days after primary PCI., Discussion: After stabilizing haemodynamics by mechanical support, ELCA could be a good option to improve coronary blood flow in patients with ACS-ULMCA., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)