The field of inflammatory disease of the heart or "cardio-immunology" is rapidly evolving due to the wider use of non-invasive diagnostic tools able to detect and monitor myocardial inflammation. In ...acute myocarditis, recent data on the use of immunomodulating therapies have been reported both in the setting of systemic autoimmune disorders and in the setting of isolated forms, especially in patients with specific histology (e.g., eosinophilic myocarditis) or with an arrhythmicburden. A role for immunosuppressive therapies has been also shown in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a condition that can be associated with cardiac injury and acute myocarditis. Furthermore, ongoing clinical trials are assessing the role of high dosage methylprednisolone in the context of acute myocarditis complicated by heart failure or fulminant presentation or the role of anakinra to treat patients with acute myocarditis excluding patients with hemodynamically unstable conditions. In addition, the explosion of immune-mediated therapies in oncology has introduced new pathophysiological entities, such as immune-checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis and new basic research models to understand the interaction between the cardiac and immune systems. Here we provide a broad overview of evolving areas in cardio-immunology. We summarize the use of new imaging tools in combination with endomyocardial biopsy and laboratory parameters such as high sensitivity troponin to monitor the response to immunomodulating therapies based on recent evidence and clinical experience. Concerning pericarditis, the normal composition of pericardial fluid has been recently elucidated, allowing to assess the actual presence of inflammation; indeed, normal pericardial fluid is rich in nucleated cells, protein, albumin, LDH, at levels consistent with inflammatory exudates in other biological fluids. Importantly, recent findings showed how innate immunity plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of recurrent pericarditis with raised C-reactive protein, with inflammasome and IL-1 overproduction as drivers for systemic inflammatory response. In the era of tailored medicine, anti-IL-1 agents such as anakinra and rilonacept have been demonstrated highly effective in patients with recurrent pericarditis associated with an inflammatory phenotype.
Abstract
Background
It remains unclear whether the distal location of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is independently associated with a lower risk of recurrence in all patients, or represents a marker ...of the presence and severity of provoking factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Methods
We investigated the impact of distal (vs. proximal) DVT location on the risk of developing symptomatic, objectively confirmed recurrent VTE in 831 patients with a first acute symptomatic DVT not associated with pulmonary embolism (PE), who were stratified by the presence of transient or persistent risk factors at baseline. The primary outcome was symptomatic, objectively diagnosed recurrent VTE, including proximal DVT and PE.
Results
A total of 205 (24.7%) patients presented with a transient risk factor, 189 (22.7%) with a minor persistent risk factor, 202 (24.3%) with unprovoked DVT, and 235 (28.3%) with cancer-associated DVT. One-hundred twenty-five patients (15.0%) experienced recurrent DVT or PE. The largest relative difference between patients with distal (vs. proximal) DVT was observed in the absence of identifiable risk factors (adjusted hazard ratio aHR: 0.11; 95% CI confidence interval: 0.03–0.45). In patients with cancer, distal and proximal DVT had a comparable risk of recurrence (aHR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.28–1.78).
Conclusions
The distal (vs. proximal) location of first acute symptomatic DVT represented, in the absence of any identifiable transient or persistent risk factors, a favorable prognostic factor for recurrence. In contrast, the prognostic impact of DVT location was weaker if persistent provoking risk factors for VTE were present, notably cancer.
Recent advances in pericarditis Bizzi, Emanuele; Picchi, Chiara; Mastrangelo, Greta ...
European journal of internal medicine,
January 2022, 2022-Jan, 2022-01-00, 20220101, Letnik:
95
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
•Pericardial fluid composition•Pericardial effusions•Anti-IL-1•Pericarditis and pregnancy
Pericardial diseases are an heterogeneous group of entities, ranging from acute pericarditis to asymptomatic ...pericardial effusions. New advances in understanding the processes underlying them have been made.
In 2020 a prospective study defined the reference intervals of the component of normal pericardial fluid, that was found to be rich in nucleated cells, proteins, albumin and LDH, at levels compatible with the inflammatory exudates of other biological fluids such as pleural or peritoneal fluid; Light's criteria should not be used to evaluate it.
Recently we also analyzed systematically large chronic idiopathic non-inflammatory pericardial effusions, observing that a non-invasive wait-and-see approach may be the best choice in clinical practice in oligosymptomatic cases.
Concerning acute recurrent pericarditis (RP), an innovative interaction between cardiologists, internists and pediatric rheumatologists led to the intuition of a pivotal role of IL-1 in recurrent pericarditis characterized by an evident inflammatory recurrent phenotype, and recent data have shown the striking efficacy of anakinra and rilonacept in these patients. The proper selection of the patient is important; the ideal candidate for anti-IL-1 therapy is the patient with RP with high levels of serum C-reactive protein, high fever, neutrophil leukocitosis, pleuropulmonary involvement, frequent exacerbations and resistant to conventional therapy. On the contrary, anti-IL-1 drugs are not indicated in patients with pericardial effusion whose cause is not attributable to inflammatory phenomena.
Finally, many patients with RP are women of childbearing age, and the possibility for these women to become pregnant must be addressed by multidisciplinary teams.
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Although surgical resection is still the optimal treatmentoption for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） in patients with well compensated cirrhosis,thermal ablation techniques provide a valid ...nonsurgicaltreatment alternative, thanks to their minimalinvasiveness, excellent tolerability and safety profile,proven efficacy in local disease control, virtuallyunlimited repeatability and cost-effectiveness. Differentenergy sources are currently employed in clinics asphysical agents for percutaneous or intra-surgicalthermal ablation of HCC nodules. Among them, radiofrequency（RF） currents are the most used, whilemicrowave ablations （MWA） are becoming increasinglypopular. Starting from the 90s＇, RF ablation （RFA） rapidlybecame the standard of care in ablation, especially inthe treatment of small HCC nodules; however, RFAexhibits substantial performance limitations in thetreatment of large lesions and/or tumors located nearmajor heat sinks. MWA, first introduced in the FarEastern clinical practice in the 80s＇, showing promisingresults but also severe limitations in the controllabilityof the emitted field and in the high amount of poweremployed for the ablation of large tumors, resultingin a poor coagulative performance and a relativelyhigh complication rate, nowadays shows better resultsboth in terms of treatment controllability and of overallcoagulative performance, thanks to the improvementof technology. In this review we provide an extensiveand detailed overview of the key physical and technicalaspects of MWA and of the currently available systems,and we want to discuss the most relevant published dataon MWA treatments of HCC nodules in regard to clinicalresults and to the type and rate of complications, both inabsolute terms and in comparison with RFA.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) carries a high risk of vascular thrombosis. However, whether a specific anticoagulation intensity strategy may prevent clinical worsening in severe COVID-19 ...patients is still debated. We conducted a joint analysis of two randomized controlled trials, COVID-19 HD (NCT044082359) and EMOS-COVID (NCT04646655), to assess the efficacy and safety of two anticoagulant regimens in hospitalized severe COVID-19 patients. Subjects with COVID-19-associated respiratory compromise and/or coagulopathy were randomly assigned to low (4000 IU qd) or high (70 IU Kg
−1
every 12 h) enoxaparin dose. The primary efficacy endpoint was clinical worsening within 30 days, defined as the occurrence of at least one of the following events, whichever came first: in-hospital death, evidence of arterial or venous thromboembolism, acute myocardial infarction, need for either continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in patients receiving standard oxygen therapy or none at randomization, and need for mechanical ventilation in any patient. The safety endpoint was major bleeding. We estimated the relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for the outcomes. Among 283 patients included in the study (144 in the low-dose and 139 in the high-dose group), 118 (41.7%) were on NIV or CPAP at randomization. 23/139 (16.5%) patients in the high-dose group reached the primary endpoint compared to 33/144 (22.9%) in the low-dose group (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.45–1.17). No major bleeding was observed. No significant differences were found in the clinical worsening of hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with high versus low doses of enoxaparin.
Abstract 4329
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) results from obstruction of the major pulmonary arteries by incompletely resolved or organized pulmonary emboli which have become ...incorporated into the pulmonary artery wall, eventually causing an increase in pulmonary vascular resistances. CTEPH is a condition that is recognised in an increased percentage of patients. Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is recognized as being the only curative option for a subgroup of those patients, but anaesthesiologists and intensivists face many challenges in how they manage these patients perioperatively. Ultimately, it is the combination of skills in a multidisciplinary team that leads to a successful procedure and dramatically improves patient’s quality of life and life expectancy. Careful pre- and post-operative management is therefore essential for such a successful outcome following PEA. In 1994 in Pavia was started a program in which members of a multidisciplinary team work in close interaction with the aim of increase experience in the challenging problems these patients present in the evaluative, surgical, and post-operative phases of their care. Pregnancy in women with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is reported to carry a maternal mortality rate of 30–56%. No report is available on the management of pregnancy and delivery in patients with CTPH. We report our experience of the management of a pregnancy in a patient previously submitted to PEA in whom pressures decreased significantly but remained higher than normal due to partial intervention. EFS, 29 yrs, had first hemoptysis in 2001. Since then, she suffered effort dyspnea. A second hemoptysis occurred in 2004. She was admitted to hospital as having “Multiple foci pneumonia, with pulmonary hypertension of unclear origin”. In 2005 patient was admitted to a different hospital. A CT scan showed: “Congenital right pulmonary artery agenesia associated with bilateral multiple artero-venous malformations. NYHA Class III”. Patients was transferred to our hospital. Thrombophilic workout resulted negative. PaO2: 79.9 mmHg, pulmonary artery pressures (PAP): 130/60/13 mmHg, pulmonary vascular resistances (PVR): 1.083 dynes/sec/min−5. CT angio-scan: Severe dilation of the common pulmonary artery (34 mm). Right pulmonary artery visible only at proximal level. Bronchial artery dilation, bilaterally. V/Q scan: Absent visualization of the right pulmonary artery. Perfusion absent. Arteriography: Clearcut thrombosis of the right pulmonary artery (initial tract). Multiple typical CTPH lesions of the left pulmonary artery. Lower limb compression ultrasound (CUS): No sign of deep or superficial vein thrombosis. On 11 april, 2005 PEA was performed on the left side, with an attempt on the right side. No agenesia of the right pulmonary artery was found. Probable occlusion in early age, with evolution in fibrosis. Post surgery, PaO2: 94.3 mmHg, PAP: 53/32/15 mmHg, PVR: 453 dynes/sec/min−5. On September 16, 2005 she was pregnant, seventh week. After careful multidisciplinary counseling, patient decided to continue pregnancy. Anticoagulant treatment was switched from warfarin to low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), therapeutic dosage. Two days before elective delivery, LMWH was reduced to prophylactic dosages. On march 2, 2006 after an uncomplicated Caesarean section under general anesthesia, she delivered a healthy baby girl. During the following months, PAPs and functional parameters normalized. Patient is today in relatively good health. Is under oral vitamin K antagonists treatment. In 2007, being pregnant again, opted for therapeutic abortion. Maternal mortality in parturients with PAH or CTPH remains prohibitively high, despite lower death rates than previous decades. Early advice on pregnancy risks, including contraception, remains paramount. Women with PAH or CTPH who become pregnant warrant a multidisciplinary approach with consideration of appropriate therapies.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
06.04.200511.04.05PEA18.04.200516.09.200514.02.200611.04.06Delivery05.08.2010PAP(s) (mmHg)130/60/13(Cath)53/32/15(Cath)50/-/-(Us)55/-/-(Us)35/-/-(Us)PVR(dynes/sec/cm-5)1083453–––Syst. PressureCO (L/min)4.25.1–––NYHACLASSIIIIIISymptomsDyspnea, EmoptysisEmoptysisEmoptysisModerate dyspnea–TreatmentnoneUFH/WarfWarf/UFHLMWHWarf
Abstract 4742
The MC-SAT program is a telemedicine system developed for the management of patients under oral anticoagulant treatment (OAT). The program constitutes the natural evolution of an ...original research project, which assessed the capability of a telematic system in managing different chronic patients access flow to health care services. In particular, for patients on oral anticoagulation we planned a direct access to a call center server and a pre-process of the INR data obtained through self-testing with portable prothrombin time (PT) monitor. The original project performed the technology assessment of all the devices and procedures able to automatically drive international normalization ratio (INR) data from patients to specialists in a hospital anticoagulation clinic and to get patients able to read the medical answer. The ability of patients and/or general practitioners to self-determine INR without specific training and the integration of a portable PT monitor for home use into routine patient care in anticoagulation clinics was subsequently successfully evaluated. After a pilot phase of the project, during which the feasibility of the MC-SAT telemedicine service was assessed, we started the enrollment of consecutive patients. Controls matched by age (+/− 5 years), sex and therapeutic range with the cases, were selected among those who attended our anticoagulation clinic (whose population reaches 3,557 individuals) and were managed by usual care. At the beginning of the program, which is still ongoing, a portable monitor (Coagucheck®, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) has been given to 40 patients and to 10 general practitioners (GPs) provided with portable monitors and Internet access. Each GP had the task to follow 5 patients on chronic OAT. Subsequently, additional 40 patients joined, referring to the preferred community laboratory to perform the prothrombin time and subsequently send the INR results through MC-SAT. To date, the system works like this: the INR data, obtained through the portable monitor or through a local laboratory, is sent by GPRS cellular phone or by Internet computer. When an alert output is detected, an automatic message is sent to the specialist. GPRS services are implemented in order to connect the specialist to the database containing the clinical history of the patient. The specialist is able to monitor, from any location, by means of smartphone or tablet PC, all INR values recorded by the system, all the previous patient accesses to the hospital and the last weekly OAT dose. On these basis, if necessary, a change of the weekly OAT doses is made and transferred to the GP’s or patients’ computer. Since the start of this project in its definitive shape in june 2009, we enrolled 130 patients allocated to prolonged oral anticoagulant treatment. Of these, 80 were directly assisted by our clinic. The remaining 50 patients were assigned to the GPs. Of the 130 patients originally enrolled, 39 never provided any data. These 39 patients were among those assigned to the GPs. Even if periodically urged to do so, GPs sent data on 11 patiens only. Of the 80 patients directly assisted by our clinic, who utilized either the given portable monitor or referred to a community laboratory, 69 showed great interest to the program, did send their results and continue to do so, utilizing the system 1104 times during the period july 2010-june 2011, with a mean of 16 prescription/year/patient. No significant differences were recorded in the TTR (time in therapeutic range) between the patients enrolled and the controls. More than 80% of the answers were given before 9 hours from the request. After two years, we confirm that the use of the system represents an improvement in the management of patients under oral anticoagulant treatment, by favouring communications and, potentially, clinical outcomes. The program showed to work better when it involves the individual patient rather than GPs.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Purpose
To compare brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using T1 3D Silent and fast T1 3D Gradient-Echo (GRE) BRAin VOlume (known as BRAVO) sequences. The primary aim is to assess the quantitative ...and qualitative analysis of Silent and BRAVO images by the measurement of the contrast (C), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The second aim is to estimate the subjective sound levels and the specific absorption rate (SAR).
Methods
Twenty-two subjects had T1 3D Silent and T1 3D BRAVO sequences added to the standard MR examination. The qualitative analysis of the two sequences was performed by two radiologists independently. The quantitative analysis was performed by placing regions of interest on the cerebrospinal fluid, on the white and grey matter. The C, the CNR and the SNR were calculated for each sequence. After each T1-3D sequence, subjects gave a score rating to evaluate the acoustic noise. Finally, the SAR was evaluated by the digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) tags.
Results
The image quality scores obtained by the two radiologists were higher for BRAVO compared to the Silent. However, qualitatively, the Silent images were similar to BRAVO for diagnostic use. Quantitatively, CNR for GM-CSF was comparable in the two sequences and SNR in CSF was higher in Silent than BRAVO. The acoustic noise of Silent sequence was statistically lower compared with BRAVO. The maximum SAR measured was 1.4 W/kg.
Conclusions
3D T1 Silent can be a valid alternative technique to conventional BRAVO to reduce the acoustic noise preserving the diagnostic accuracy. However, radiologists preferred the conventional sequence to Silent.
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