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Researchers have been able to characterize contractile and electrophysiological dysfunction during early acute rejection by using a rat cardiac transplant model. It was also possible to make a deeper study of the part played by nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (iNO) in this process. It was found that early in vivo cardiac allograft rejection lead to contractile and electrophysiological dysfunction at baseline and during beta-adrenergic, adenylate cyclase and calcium stimulation.

Presents insights on the immunologic factors in transplant arteriopathy using animal models. Mechanism of action of the immune system; Description of a method of mouse aortic transplantation; Studies of chemokines and chemokine receptors.

Background: Neurolotic sequelae after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) imaging can show real-time high intensity transient signals (HITS), which reflect active microembolization. Although it is well known that intraprocedural microembolism occurs, it is not known if this embolic phenomenon continues in the postprocedural period. We investigated whether microemboli occur post-TAVR and whether we could determine any clinical, procedural, or echocardiographic predictors., Methods: We evaluated HITS in 51 consecutive patients undergoing unprotected TAVR with low-, intermediate-, or high-risk Society of Thoracic Surgeons score. Patients were excluded if they did not have temporal windows for insonation of the middle cerebral artery or if they were not willing to participate. Primary outcomes of HITS 24 hours post-TAVR were observed using a Philips iU22 TCD. TCD was performed at 3 time points (pre-, peri-, and post-TAVR) for each patient, before, during, and 24 hours postprocedure., Results: While no HITS were detected in any of the patients preoperatively, all patients had HITS during the procedure. Interestingly, 56.8% had HITS 24 hours post-TAVR. One patient with HITS post-TAVR had a stroke 48 hours after TAVR., Conclusion: We observed a high prevalence of microemboli 24 hours post-TAVR. None of the predictors for intraprocedural microembolism seemed to play an important role for post-TAVR microemboli., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Lack of standardization in posttranscatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) conduction disturbance (CD) identification and treatment may affect permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) rates and clinical outcomes. The safety and efficacy of a standardized TAVR CD algorithm has not been analyzed. This study analyzes the Optimize PRO post-TAVR CD management algorithm with Evolut PRO/PRO + valves., Methods: Optimize PRO is a prospective, postmarket study implementing 2 strategies to reduce pacemaker rates: TAVR with cusp overlap technique and a post-TAVR CD algorithm. The 2-hour postprocedural electrocardiogram (ECG) stratified patients to early discharge in the absence of new ECG changes or to CD algorithms for (1) ECG changes with preexisting right or left bundle branch block (LBBB), interventricular conduction delay or first-degree atrioventricular block, (2) new LBBB, or (3) high-degree atrioventricular block (HAVB)., Results: The interim analysis of the CD cohort consisted of 125/400 TAVR recipients. In the CD cohort, the 30-day new PPI rate was higher (28.1% vs 1.5%; P <.001), and 60 (48%) patients were discharged with a 30-day continuous ECG monitor. At 30 days, 90% of patients discharged with a monitor did not require PPI. Clinical outcomes, including mortality, stroke, bleeding, and reintervention, were similar in patients with and without CDs. No patient experienced sudden cardiac death., Conclusions: Effective management of CDs using a standard algorithm following Evolut TAVR provides similar 30-day safety outcomes to patients without CDs who undergo routine next day discharge. The CD algorithm may provide an effective strategy to recognize arrhythmias early, improve PPI utilization, and facilitate safe monitoring of patients after discharge., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objective: We evaluated short-term outcomes and mid-term survival and reintervention of hybrid coronary revascularization versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting using a propensity score matched cohort., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing surgery for multivessel coronary artery disease from 2007 to 2015 at a single institution. Patients were propensity matched 1:1 to receiving hybrid coronary revascularization or conventional bypass grafting by multivariate logistic regression on preoperative characteristics. Short-term outcomes were compared. Freedom from reintervention and death were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards regression., Results: Propensity score matching selected 91 patients per group from 91 hybrid and 2601 conventionally revascularized patients. Hybrid revascularization occurred with surgery first in 56 (62%), percutaneous intervention first in 32 (35%), and simultaneously in 3 (3%) patients. Median intervals between interventions were 3 and 36 days for surgery first and percutaneous intervention first, respectively. Preoperative characteristics were similar. Patients undergoing hybrid revascularization had shorter postoperative length of stay (median = 4 vs 5 days, P < 0.001), less postoperative transfusion (13.2% vs 34.1%, P = 0.001), and respiratory failure (0% vs 6.6%, P = 0.03). They were more likely to be discharged home (93.4% vs 71.4%, P < 0.001), with no difference in 30-day mortality (P = 0.99), readmission (P = 0.23), or mid-term survival (P = 0.79). Hybrid revascularization was associated with earlier reintervention (P = 0.02). Hazard ratios for reintervention and patient mortality of hybrid coronary revascularization versus conventional revascularization were 3.60 (95% confidence interval = 1.16-11.20) and 1.17 (95% confidence interval = 0.37-3.72), respectively., Conclusions: Despite having favorable short-term outcomes and similar survival, hybrid coronary revascularization may be associated with earlier reintervention compared with conventional techniques.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of true bifurcation lesions (Medina classification 1, 1, 1; 1, 0, 1; or 0, 1, 1) is challenging and may involve either a 1-stent strategy with provisional side branch stenting, or a 2-stent strategy. Diabetes mellitus is associated with greater atherosclerotic burden and higher incidence of bifurcation lesions, and unfavorable outcomes after PCI. It is unknown whether use of newer everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation impacts relative outcomes of 1-stent and 2-stent strategies in patients with diabetes., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus and complex true bifurcation lesions (side branch diameter >2.0 mm) who underwent PCI with EES between February 2010 and December 2011. We grouped subjects based on initial treatment to a 1-stent (n = 81) or 2-stent (n = 54) strategy, and compared baseline characteristics, quantitative coronary angiography, and 1-year major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) rates, defined as death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization (TLR), or target vessel revascularization (TVR)., Results: Baseline characteristics were well matched. A 2-stent strategy was associated with larger side-branch reference vessel diameter at baseline and post PCI. In-hospital events included 1 periprocedural myocardial infarction in each group and no deaths. At 1 year, there was no significant difference between 1-stent and 2-stent strategies in TVR rates (6.2% vs 3.7%; P=.53), TLR (both 3.7%; P>.99), or MACE (7.4% vs 3.7%; P=.37)., Conclusion: In this series of diabetic patients undergoing complex bifurcation PCI using EES implantation, there was no difference between 1-stent and 2-stent strategies with respect to ischemic events at 1 year.