Prospective Randomized Study of Sarpogrelate Versus Clopidogrel-based Dual Antiplatelet Therapies in Patients Undergoing Femoropopliteal Arterial Endovascular Interventions: Preliminary Results

Background:

Sarpogrelate is a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtype 2A antagonist which blocks 5-HT induced platelet aggregation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. We compared the efficacy of sarpogrelate-based dual antiplatelet therapies for the prevention of restenosis and target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates comparing with that of clopidogrel after percutaneous endovascular interventions (EVIs) of femoropopliteal (FP) arterial lesions.

Methods:

This prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial recruited a total of 120 patients with successful EVI of FP lesions at seven centers across China between January 2011 and June 2012. Patients were randomized to receive either sarpogrelate (100 mg trice daily for 6 months, n = 63) or clopidogrel (75 mg once daily for 6 months, n = 57). All patients also received oral aspirin (100 mg once daily for 12 months). Clinical follow-up was conducted up to 12 months postprocedure.

Results:

There was no significant difference between the two groups in basic demographic data. The restenosis rate was higher in the clopidogrel group (22.80%) than in sarpogrelate group (17.50%), but there was no significant difference between these two groups (P = 0.465). The TLR rate, ipsilateral amputation rate, mortality in all-cause and bleeding rate were also similar in the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

Aspirin plus sarpogrelate is a comparable antithrombotic regimen to aspirin plus clopidogrel after EVI of FP arterial lesions. Dual antiplatelet therapies might play an important role in preventing restenosis after successful EVI of FP lesions.     

Drug-eluting balloon: Initial experience in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR)

Background

In-stent restenosis is the most important limitation of modern coronary angioplasty. Drug-eluting stents solve this problem but at the cost of late stent thrombosis and longer duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy. Drug-eluting balloon (DEB) technology is now available and offers an attractive option for treatment of restenosis.

Methods

A cohort of 20 patients with in-stent restenosis after stenting were treated with a drug-eluting balloon and were followed up clinically and angiographically for 6 months.

Results and conclusion

Procedural success was achieved in all patients. 6 month clinical follow-up was available for all and 6 month angiographic follow up for 17 patients. On 6 month follow-up, 5 of the 20 patients had recurrence of angina and 4 patients had angiographic restenosis (2 focal, 2 diffuse). The mean Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina score improved significantly from 3.1 to 1.1. DEB offers a novel method of treatment for patients with in-stent restenosis with a good safety and efficacy profile.     

Clinical Impact of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Use in Patients Following Everolimus-eluting Stent Implantation: Insights from the SEEDS Study

Background:

Studies have suggested that use of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following new generation drug-eluting stent implantation may increase costs and potential bleeding events. This study aimed to investigate the association of DAPT status with clinical safety in patients undergoing everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation in the SEEDS study (A Registry to Evaluate Safety and Effectiveness of Everolimus Drug-eluting Stent for Coronary Revascularization) at 2-year follow-up.

Methods:

The SEEDS study is a prospective, multicenter study, where patients (n = 1900) with small vessel, long lesion, or multi-vessel diseases underwent EES implantation. Detailed DAPT status was collected at baseline, 6-month, 1- and 2-year. DAPT interruption was defined as any interruption of aspirin and/or clopidogrel more than 14 days. The net adverse clinical events (NACE, a composite endpoint of all-cause death, all myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST), and major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium II-V)) were investigated according to the DAPT status at 2-year follow-up.

Results:

DAPT was used in 97.8% of patients at 6 months, 69.5% at 12 months and 35.4% at 2 years. It was observed that the incidence of NACE was low (8.1%) at 2 years follow-up, especially its components of all-cause death (0.9%), stroke (1.1%), and definite/probable ST (0.7%). DAPT was not an independent predictor of composite endpoint of all-cause death/MI/stroke (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.693, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.096–4.980, P = 0.715) and NACE (HR: 1.041, 95% CI: 0.145–7.454, P = 0.968). Of 73 patients who had DAPT interruption, no patient had ST at 12-month, and only 1 patient experienced ST between 1- and 2-year (1.4%). There was a high frequency of major bleeding events (53/65, 82.5%) occurred in patients receiving DAPT treatment.

Conclusions:

Prolonged DAPT use was not associated with improved clinical safety. The study emphasized that duration of DAPT needs to be shortened in Chinese patients following EES implantation (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT 01157455","term_id":"NCT01157455"}}NCT 01157455).     

Comparison of the safety and efficacy of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents: a meta-analysis

Background

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DESs).

Methods

PubMed, Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chongqing VIP databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing the safety and efficacy of BP-DESs versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DESs). Efficacy included the prevalence of target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and late lumen loss (LLL), and safety of these stents at the end of follow-up for the selected research studies were compared.

Results

A total of 16 qualified original studies that addressed a total of 22,211 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In regard to efficacy, no statistically significant difference in TLR (odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, P = 0.30) or TVR (OR 1.01, P = 0.86) was observed between patients treated with BP-DESs and those with DP-DESs. However, there were significant differences in in-stent LLL (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −0.07, P = 0.005) and in-segment LLL (WMD = −0.03, P = 0.05) between patients treated with BP-DESs and with DP-DESs. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in overall mortality (OR 0.97, P = 0.67), cardiac death (OR 0.99, P = 0.90), early stent thrombosis (ST) and late ST (OR 0.94, P = 0.76; OR 0.96, P = 0.73), or myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 0.99, P = 0.88) between patients treated with BP-DESs and with DP-DESs. However, there was a statistically significant difference in very late ST (OR 0.69, P = 0.007) between these two groups. In addition, the general trend of the rates of TVR and TLR of BP-DESs groups was lower than DP-DESs groups after a 1-year follow-up.

Conclusion

BP-DESs are safe, efficient, and exhibit superior performance to DP-DESs with respect to reducing the occurrence of very late ST and LLL. The general trend of the rates of TVR and TLR of BP-DESs groups was lower than DP-DESs groups after a 1-year follow-up.     

Prognostic Value of NT-proBNP in Stable Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Drug-eluting Stent Era

Objective The predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in patients with stable coronary artery disease(SCAD) in the drug-eluting stent era is not yet clear. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in SCAD patients after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods We examined 4,293 consecutive SCAD patients who underwent PCI between January 2013 and December 2013 in Fuwai Hospital, China. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. NT-proBNP levels were measured before PCI using Elisa kits(Biomedica, Austria). The indication for PCI was based on the degree of coronary stenosis and evidence of ischemia. Results Among 3,187 SCAD patients with NT-proBNP data, after a 2-year follow-up, NT-proBNP levels were predictive for all-cause death in the SCAD population [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.768; 95% confidence interval(CI), 0.687-0.849; P 0.001]. At the optimum cutoff point of 732 pg/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of death was 75.0% and 72.3%, respectively. In a multivariable Cox regression model, the death hazard ratio was 6.43(95% CI, 2.99-13.82; P 0.001) for patients with NT-proBNP levels ≥ 732 pg/mL, compared with 732 pg/mL. Conclusion NT-proBNP is a strong predictor of 2-year death with SCAD after PCI in the drug-eluting stent era.     

Effect of shuxinyin on in-stent restenosis after coronary artery stenting

Objective

To evaluate the effect of anti-platelet regimens and it’s combination with Shuxinyin (SXY,) on in-stent restenosis after stent implantation.

Methods

Forty-four patients with successful stent implantation in a coronary artery were randomly assigned to the treated group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 24). The treated group received SXY and anti-platelet therapy. The control group were treated with anti-platelet regimens only. Platelet activation was assessed before and immediately after the stenting by flow cy-tometry, the expression of P-selectin (CD₆₂P) and glycoprotein(GP) П b/Ш a receptor. It was reassessed on the 30th day after stenting. Plasma fibrinogen (Fg) and C-reaction protein (CRP) were measured by biuret and laser scattering turbidimetry respectively at the same time. Observation was made on the scoring of the symptoms of Qi deficiency syndrome, Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome and blood stasis syndrome in the two groups. Differences between groups were compared.

Results

Compared with the control group, combination with SXY and anti-platelet therapy was remarkable in reducing plasma CRP (P < 0.05), and also with the tendency to decrease plasma Fg, GP П b/Шa and CD₆₂P. It could also evidently decrease the scoring of Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome, Qi deficiency syndrome and blood stasis syndrome after stenting (P <0.05, 0.01, 0.01) respectively. Followup survey found 40 % relapse of angina pectoris with 4 cases of in-stent restenosis proved by angiography in the treated group. But the relapse of angina pectoris in the control group was 67% with 2 cases of mypcardial infarction (MI), 7 cases of in-stent restenosis proved by angiography and one death.

Conclusions

Combination with SXY and anti-platelet regimens can prevent stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis after stent implantation, and it seems superior to anti-platelet therapy only.     

Drug-eluting balloon: Initial experience in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR)

Background

In-stent restenosis is the most important limitation of modern coronary angioplasty. Drug-eluting stents solve this problem but at the cost of late stent thrombosis and longer duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy. Drug-eluting balloon (DEB) technology is now available and offers an attractive option for treatment of restenosis.

Methods

A cohort of 20 patients with in-stent restenosis after stenting were treated with a drug-eluting balloon and were followed up clinically and angiographically for 6 months.

Results and conclusion

Procedural success was achieved in all patients. 6 month clinical follow-up was available for all and 6 month angiographic follow up for 17 patients. On 6 month follow-up, 5 of the 20 patients had recurrence of angina and 4 patients had angiographic restenosis (2 focal, 2 diffuse). The mean Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina score improved significantly from 3.1 to 1.1. DEB offers a novel method of treatment for patients with in-stent restenosis with a good safety and efficacy profile.     

Coarctation of the aorta: nonsurgical treatment using stent implantation

INTRODUCTION

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) accounts for 5%–8% of all congenital heart defects. If left untreated, most patients with significant CoA will have varying degrees of morbidity (e.g. hypertension, stroke, collateral formation and ventricular hypertrophy), possibly even mortality. Traditionally, treatment for this condition is surgical. Herein, we report stenting during catheterisation as an alternative nonsurgical treatment option for patients with CoA, and present the treatment outcomes of patients who underwent this treatment option.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed four patients (2 men and 2 women; age range 20–41 years) who underwent CoA stenting under general anaesthesia for the treatment of native CoA or restenosis of CoA at our institution. Three patients had a 40-mm Palmaz stent inserted, while one had a 39-mm Cheatham-Platinum covered stent inserted. Angiography and measurement of pressure gradients were performed before and after stent implantation to ensure good treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

The patients’ treatment outcomes were good, with a significant reduction in pressure gradients across the narrowed segments. Angiography showed relief of CoA. The patients were followed up for 1–3 years, during which no complications were noted.

CONCLUSION

This is the first reported series in Singapore on the nonsurgical treatment of CoAs in adult patients using stents during interventional cardiac catheterisation. This less invasive procedure may lead to a new paradigm shift with regard to the treatment of CoA.     

莪术有效成分涂层支架对猪冠状动脉内膜新生的长期影响

Objective

To examine the effect of the zedoary essential component-eluting stent (ZES) on a porcine coronary neointimal formation.

Methods

ZES, sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), and bare metal stents (BMS) were randomly implanted in three different major epicardial vessels in 36 balloon-injured pigs. Coronary angiography, optical coherence tomography, and histomorphological analysis were used to determine antihyperplasia effects.

Results

ZES and SES had a significantly larger lumen diameter and area, and reduced diameter and area of stenosis in arteries at 30 and 90 days compared with arteries implanted with BMS (P<0.01). Histomorphometric analysis showed moderate inflammatory responses, such as infiltration of mononuclear cells, lymphocytes, and multinucleated giant cells in some arteries with SES compared with ZES (P<0.05). Injury scores were not different among the three groups at 30 and 90 days. The endothelialization score in the SES group was 2.69±0.42 at 30 days and 2.83±0.39 at 90 days compared with the ZES and BMS groups (both were 3.00±0.00 at either 30 or 90 days, P<0.05). Well developed endothelium was observed in the ZES group, while incomplete endothelium and inflammatory cells were observed with stent struts partly naked at the vessel lumen in the SES group.

Conclusion

The ZES inhibits neointimal hyperplasia with good endothelia coverage in the porcine balloon injury coronary model.     

Intravascular ultrasound-guided unprotected left main coronary artery stenting in the elderly

Objectives:

To investigate whether intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) could improve clinical outcomes compared with angiography-guided PCI in the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis (ULMCA) in the elderly.

Methods:

This controlled study was carried out between October 2009 and September 2012, in Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Province, China. One hundred and twenty-three consecutive patients with ULMCA, aged 70 or older, were randomized to an IVUS-guided group and a control group. The occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE): death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularizations) were recorded after 2 years of follow-up.

Results:

The IVUS-guided group had a lower rate of 2-year MACE than the control group (13.1% versus 29.3%, p=0.031). The incidence of target lesion revascularization was lower in the IVUS-guided group than in the control group (9.1% versus 24%, p=0.045). However, there were no differences in death and myocardial infarction in the 2 groups. On Cox proportional hazard analysis, distal lesion was the independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.99, confidence interval [CI]: 1.129-2.367; p=0.043); IVUS guidance was independent factor of survival free of MACE (HR: 0.414, CI: 0.129-0.867; p=0.033).

Conclusion:

The use of IVUS could reduce MACE in elderly patients undergoing ULMCA intervention.Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) may help to evaluate the target lesion and ensure adequate stent expansion during percutaneous intervention. A meta-analysis1 reviewed 5 studies and showed that there were no difference in death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) between IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and angiography-guided PCI using bare-metal stents, other studies,2-5 showed that IVUS use could reduce adverse clinical events compared with angiography guidance. Intravascular ultrasound use may have more benefit in left main (LM) PCI using drug-eluting stent. A recently published study5 demonstrated that survival free of MACE at 3 years was higher in the IVUS group, and the incidence of stent thrombosis was lower in the IVUS group. However, the recent studies did not focus on the elderly, which are a sector of the population that is increasing in China. The elderly patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) generally have multi vessel disease and several risk factors. Due to the influence of culture and faith, these patients would choose PCI rather than coronary artery bypass graft in China. Does IVUS provide clinical benefit for these elderly patients? There are no controlled randomized trials to answer this question. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the IVUS-guided PCI is superior to the angiography-guided PCI during the long-term clinical follow-up in the elderly patients with ULMCA.     

Relation between usual daily walking time and metabolic syndrome

Background:

There are several studies about the positive relation between physical inactivity or low cardio respiratory fitness with development of metabolic syndrome (MS). In contrast, physical activity had favourable effects on all components of MS but the quantity and the frequency of physical activity necessary to produce this beneficial effect has not been defined as yet. The aim of this survey was to study the association of regular physical activity, measured by patient''s estimation of walking time per day, with MS.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted as a part of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP). Persons who had no component of MS were considered as reference group. Demographic data were collected by questionnaire. Relation between walking time and MS was evaluated by using logistic regression adjusted by age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), life style and food item.

Results:

The study populations consisted of 4151 persons. Lower physical activity was associated with higher prevalence of MS (P < 0.001). There was a negative relation between the usual daily walking time and MS. Adjusted odds ratio for age groups, sex, SES, life style and food items (fat and oil, sweet and sweet drink, rice and bread, fried food) revealed that MS decreases with increasing walking time (P < 0.05) [OR = 0.70 (0.52-0.94)].

Conclusion:

Total daily walking time is negatively associated with MS and increasing daily walking time is an effective way for preventing MS.     

Quantitative assessment of late lumen loss after biodegradable polymer and permanent polymer sirolimus-eluting stents implantation

Background Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) are reported to be associated with reduced late lumen loss (LLL),resulting in less frequent restenosis when compared to bare-metal stent.The current study aime...     

Effect of Final Kissing Balloon Dilatation after One-stent Technique at Left-main Bifurcation: A Single Center Data

Background:

Whether final kissing balloon (FKB) dilatation after one-stent implantation at left-main (LM) bifurcation site remains unclear. Therefore, this large sample and long-term follow-up study comparatively assessed the impact of FKB in patients with unprotected LM disease treated with one-stent strategy.

Methods:

Total 1528 consecutive patients underwent LM percutaneous coronary intervention in one center from January 2004 to December 2010 were enrolled; among them, 790 patients treated with one drug-eluting stent crossover LM to left anterior descending (LAD) with FKB (n = 230) or no FKB (n = 560) were comparatively analyzed. Primary outcome was the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

Results:

Overall, The prevalence of true bifurcation lesions, which included Medina classification (1,1,1), (1,0,1), or (0,1,1), was similar between-groups (non-FKB: 37.0% vs. FKB: 39.6%, P = 0.49). At mean 4 years follow-up, rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (non-FKB: 10.0% vs. FKB: 7.8%, P = 0.33), death, MI and TVR were not significantly different between-groups. In multivariate propensity-matched regression analysis, FKB was not an independent predictor of adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

For patients treated with one-stent crossover LM to LAD, clinical outcomes appear similar between FKB and non-FKB strategy.     

Aortic Artery and Cardiac Valve Calcification are Associated with Mortality in Chinese Hemodialysis Patients: A 3.5 Years Follow-up

Background:

This study was to investigate the relationship among aortic artery calcification (AAC), cardiac valve calcification (CVC), and mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.

Methods:

All MHD patients in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital in July 2011 were included. To follow up for 42 months, clinical data, predialysis blood tests, echocardiography, and lateral lumbar X-ray plain radiography results were collected. Plasma FGF23 level was measured using a C-terminal assay.

Results:

Totally, 110 MHD patients were involved in this study. Of which, 64 (58.2%) patients were male, the mean age was 55.2 ± 1.4 years old, and the median dialysis duration was 29.85 (3.0–225.5) months. About 25.5% of the 110 MHD patients had CVC from echocardiography while 61.8% of the patients had visible calcification of aorta from lateral lumbar X-ray plain radiography. After 42 months follow-up, 25 (22.7%) patients died. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with AAC or CVC had a significant greater number of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths than those without. In multivariate analyses, the presence of AAC was a significant factor associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.149, P = 0.025) in addition to lower albumin level and lower 25-hydroxy Vitamin D (25(OH)D) level. The presence of CVC was a significant factor associated with cardiovascular mortality (HR: 3.800, P = 0.029) in addition to lower albumin level and lower 25(OH)D level.

Conclusion:

Lateral lumbar X-ray plain radiography and echocardiography are simple methods to detect AAC and CVC in dialysis patients. The presence of AAC and CVC was independently associated with mortality in MHD patients. Regular follow-up by X-ray and echocardiography could be a useful method to stratify mortality risk in MHD patients.     

A Preliminary Study of the Therapeutic Role of Human Early Fetal Aorta-derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Inhibiting Carotid Artery Neointimal Hyperplasia

Background:

Endothelial cell damage is an important pathophysiological step of restenosis after angioplasty and stenting. Cell transplantation has great therapeutic potential for endothelial recovery. We investigated the effect of transplanting endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from human early fetal aortas in rat injured arteries.

Methods:

The carotid arterial endothelium of Sprague-Dawley rats was damaged by dilatation with a 1.5 F balloon catheter, and then EPCs derived from human early fetal aortas (<14 weeks) were injected into the lumen of the injured artery in transplanted rats, with an equal volume of normal saline injected into control rats. Rats were sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment and transplanted cells were identified by immunohistochemical staining with anti-human CD31 and anti-human mitochondria antibodies. Arterial cross-sections were analyzed by pathology, immunohistochemistry, and morphometry.

Results:

Green fluorescence-labeled EPCs could be seen in the endovascular surface of balloon-injured vessels after transplantation. The intimal area and intimal/medial area ratio were significantly smaller in the transplanted group than in the control (P < 0.05) and the residual lumen area was larger (P < 0.05). After EPC transplantation, a complete vascular endothelial layer was formed, which was positive for human von Willebrand factor after immunohistochemical staining, and immunohistochemical staining revealed many CD31- and mitochondria-positive cells in the re-endothelialized endothelium with EPC transplantation but not control treatment.

Conclusion:

EPCs derived from human early fetal aorta were successfully transplanted into injured vessels and might inhibit neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury.     

Apolipoprotein J: A New Predictor and Therapeutic Target in Cardiovascular Disease?

Objective:

To review the functional mechanism of apolipoprotein J (apoJ) in the process of atherosclerosis and the feasibility of apoJ as a therapeutic endpoint.

Data Sources:

Relevant articles published in English from 1983 to present were selected from PubMed. The terms of “atherosclerosis, apolipoprotein J, clusterin (CLU), oxidative stress, and inflammation” were used for searching.

Study Selection:

Articles studying the role of apoJ with atherosclerosis and restenosis after injury were reviewed. Articles focusing on the intrinsic determinants of atherosclerosis were selected. The exclusion criteria of articles were that the studies on immunologic vasculitis.

Results:

ApoJ, involved in numerous physiological process important for lipid transportation and vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation, including apoptotic cell death, cell-cycle regulation, cell adhesion, tissue remodeling, immune system regulation, and oxidative stress, plays a role in the development of clinical atherosclerosis. In the process of relieving atherosclerosis, apoJ can promote cholesterol and phospholipid export from macrophage-foam cells, and exhibit cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory actions by interacting with lots of known inflammatory proteins which may predict the onset of clinical cardiovascular events and may actually play a causal role in mediating atherosclerotic disease such as C-reactive protein, paraoxonase, and leptin. As known as CLU, apoJ has been identified to play central roles in the process of vascular smooth cells migration, adhesion, and proliferation, which can contribute significantly to restenosis after vascular injury.

Conclusions:

Intense effort and substantial progress have been made to identify the apoJ that relieves atherosclerosis and vascular restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. More work is needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms of and the interrelationship between the actions of apoJ and to successfully achieve regression of atherosclerosis by regarding it as a therapeutic endpoint.     

Helicobacter Pylori and Gastric Cancer: Clinical Aspects

Objective:

Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is considered as the main etiological factor for gastric cancer, the strategy of screening and treating the oncogenic bacterium is still controversial. The objective was to evaluate the status and progress of the cognition about the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer from a clinical aspect.

Data Sources:

The data used in this review were mainly from the PubMed articles published in English from 1984 to 2015.

Study Selection:

Clinical research articles were selected mainly according to their level of relevance to this topic.

Results:

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The main etiological factor for gastric cancer is H. pylori infection. About 74.7–89.0% gastric cancer was related to H. pylori infection. Up to date, some regional gastric cancer prevention programs including the detection and treatment of H. pylori infection are under way. Current data obtained from the randomized controlled trials suggest that population-based H. pylori screening and treatment is feasible and cost-effective in preventing gastric cancer; however, a population-based H. pylori eradication campaign would potentially lead to bacterial resistance to the corresponding antibiotics, as well as a negative impact on the normal flora.

Conclusions:

The important questions of feasibility, program costs, appropriate target groups for intervention, and the potential harm of mass therapy with antibiotics must first be answered before implementing any large-scale program.     

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Assisted with Microcatheter: A New Method to Avoid Coronary Artery Obstruction

Background:

Lack of fluoroscopic landmarks can make valve deployment more difficult in patients with absent aortic valve (AV) calcification. The goal of this article was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of transcatheter implantation of a valved stent into the AV position of a goat, assisted with a microcatheter which provides accurate positioning of coronary artery ostia to help valved stent deployment.

Methods:

The subjects were 10 healthy goats in this study. A microcatheter was introduced into the distal site of right coronary artery (RCA) through femoral artery sheath. A minimal thoracic surgery approach was used to access the apex of the heart. The apex of the left ventricle was punctured; a delivery catheter equipped with the valved stent was introduced over a stiff guidewire into the aorta arch. We could accurately locate the RCA ostia through the microcatheter placed in the RCA under fluoroscopy. After correct valve position was confirmed, the valved stent was implanted after rapid inflation of the balloon. The immediate outcome of the function of the valved stents was evaluated after implantation.

Results:

All ten devices were successfully implanted into the AV position of the goats. Immediate observation after the procedure showed that the valved stents were in the desired position after implantation by angiography, echocardiogram. No obstruction of coronary artery ostia occurred, and no moderate to severe aortic regurgitation was observed.

Conclusions:

When the procedure of transcatheter implantation of a balloon-expandable valved stent into the AV position of goats is assisted with microcatheter positioning coronary artery ostia, the success rate of operation can be increased in those with noncalcified AV.     

Using a Surgeon-modified Iliac Branch Device to Preserve the Internal Iliac Artery during Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Single-center Experiences and Early Results

Background:

To evaluate the feasibility of a new surgeon-modified iliac branch device (IBD) technique to maintain pelvic perfusion in the management of common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysm during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods:

From January 2011 to December 2013, a new surgeon-modified IBD technique was performed in department of vascular surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in five patients treated for CIA aneurysm with or without abdominal aortic aneurysm. A stent-graft limb was initially deployed in vitro, anastomosed with vascular graft, creating a modified IBD reloaded into a larger sheath, with or without a guidewire preloaded into the side branch. The reloaded IBD was then placed in the iliac artery, with a covered stent bridging internal iliac artery and the branch. Finally, a bifurcated stent-graft was deployed, and a limb device was used to connect the main body and IBD.

Results:

Technical successes were obtained in all patients. The mean follow-up length was 24 months (range: 6–38 months). All grafts remained patent without any sign of endoleaks. There were no aneurysm ruptures, deaths, or other complications related to pelvic flow.

Conclusions:

Using the surgeon-modified IBD to preserve pelvic flow is a feasible endovascular technique and an appealing solution for personalized treatment of CIA aneurysm during EVAR.     

Multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter species from various clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital from South India

Background

Acinetobacter species are gram-negative coccobacilli belonging to the group of Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli, which are ubiquitous in nature. They cause outbreaks in intensive care units and healthcare settings, and are becoming increasingly drug resistant.

Aims

To determine the prevalence of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter species from various clinical samples.

Method

Clinical samples were processed as per standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out on all the Acinetobacter isolates by Kirby- Bauer disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines.

Results

A total of 122 Acinetobacter spp. were isolated. 110 (90.16 per cent) were from inpatients, and 12 (9.83 per cent) were from outpatients. Out of 122 isolates, 44 (36.06 per cent) were from the ICU. The majority of the isolates, 47 (38.52 per cent), were from pus samples followed by 25 (20.49 per cent) from endotracheal tube aspirate. Out of 122 isolates, 87 (71.31 per cent) were multi-drug resistant of which 15 (12.29 per cent) were resistant to all drugs tested.

Conclusion

Acinetobacter infections associated with multi-drug resistant and pan-resistant strains have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens in our setting.