Prevalence and prognostic relevance of myocardial inflammation and cardiotropic viruses in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background: Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heterogeneous disease with a spectrum of etiological factors. However, subsets of the disease are not well-characterized with respect to these factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of myocardial inflammation and cardiotropic viruses in DCM patients and their impact on clinical outcome. Methods: Fifty-seven patients with DCM underwent endomyocardial biopsy between 2010 and 2013. Biopsies were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of cardiotropic viruses, and inflammatory cell infiltration was assessed by immunohistochemistry. During a 5-year follow-up, 27 (47%) patients reached the primary composite outcome measure: heart transplantation, left ventricle assist device implantation or cardiovascular-related death. Results: rvovirus B19 and human herpesvirus type-6. Four specific sub-groups were distinguished by PCR and immunohistochemistry: virus-positive (chronic) myocarditis, autoreactive inflammatory DCM, viral DCM, non-inflammatory DCM. The presence of a viral genome in myocardium or diagnosis of inflammatory DCM did not predict the outcome of composite outcome measures (p > 0.05). However, univariate Cox regression and survival function estimation revealed an association between inflammation by a high number of T-cells and poor prognosis. Conclusions: This study has shown that two markers — cardiotropic viruses and myocardial inflammation — are prevalent among DCM patients. They are also helpful in identifying sub-groups of DCM. An increased number of T-lymphocytes in the myocardium is a predictor of poor mid-term and long‐term prognosis

Širdies resinchronizacijos terapijos šiuolaikinės rekomendacijos: Vilniaus kardiologijos ir angiologijos centro patirtis

Vytė Maneikienė, Germanas Marinskis, Audrius Aidietis, Sigita Aidietienė, Jelena Čelutkienė, Kęstutis Ručinskas, Vytautas Sirvydis, Aleksandras Laucevičius Vilniaus universiteto Širdies ir kraujagyslių ligų klinika, Santariškių g. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius El. paštas: [email protected] Įvadas / tikslas: Širdies resinchronizavimo terapijos metodas sumažina širdies nepakankamumo simptomus, pagerina širdies sistolinę funkciją ir išgyvenamumą pacientų, sergančių toli pažengusiu širdies nepakankamumu, atspariu optimaliam medikamentiniam gydymui, ir turinčių elektrinio širdies asinchroniškumo požymį – plačius QRS kompleksus, tačiau vėlyvieji ilgo stebėjimo rezultatai dar nėra iki galo aiškūs ir plačiai tyrinėjami. Darbo tikslas – apžvelgti pagrindines šiuolaikines resinchronizacijos taikymo nuorodas, papildomų atrankos kriterijų paieškų rezultatus; pateikti Vilniaus universitetinės ligoninės Santariškių klinikų Kardiologijos ir angiologijos centro patirties apžvalgą. Ligoniai ir metodai: Analizuojami pacientų, gydytų resinchronizacine terapija nuo 2002 metų vidurio iki 2009 metų pabaigos, atvejai. Klinikinė informacija renkama iš pacientų ligos istorijų, ambulatorinio stebėjimo kortelių. Visi iki šiol gyvenantys pacientai periodiškai kviečiami nuodugniai klinikinei patikrai. Prieš ir po resinchronizacijos procedūros atliekami išplėstiniai širdies echoskopijos tyrimai įvertinant mechaninį asinchroniškumą, spiroergometrijos tyrimai, nustatomas smegenų natriurezinio peptido kiekis kraujyje. Rezultatai: Per aštuonerius metus, nuo 2002 iki 2009 metų pabaigos, implantuoti 92 resinchronizacijos prietaisai. Darbų apimtis gerokai padidėjo per pastaruosius dvejus metus. Šių pacientų, priklausančių III–IV NYHA funkcinei klasei, išgyvenamumo rodikliai yra geri (mirštamumas per 8 metus – tik 10,8 %). Daliai pacientų (4 %) biventrikuliniai stimuliatoriai tapo tiltu į sėkmingą širdies transplantaciją. Išvados: Širdies resinchronizavimo terapija saugiai ir gana veiksmingai pagerina pacientų, sergančių širdies nepakankamumu ir priklausančių III–IV NYHA funkcinei klasei, gyvenimo kokybę. Atrenkant pacientus gydyti šiuo būdu pagal šiuolaikines rekomendacijas, išlieka didelis procentas nepakankamai gerų rezultatų, nors tokios toli pažengusio širdies nepakankamumo grupės ligonių išgyvenamumas yra daug geresnis nei tikėtinas. Reikšminiai žodžiai: resinchronizacija, širdies nepakankamumas, klinikinės studijos Current clinical guidelines for cardiac resynchronization therapy: the experience of vilnius cardiology-angiology center Vytė Maneikienė, Germanas Marinskis, Audrius Aidietis, Sigita Aidietienė, Jelena Čelutkienė, Kęstutis Ručinskas, Vytautas Sirvydis, Aleksandras Laucevičius Vilnius University, Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases, Santariškių str. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania El. paštas: [email protected] Background /objective: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy improves cardiac function and clinical outcomes for patients suffering from congestive heart failure due to systolic dysfunction associated with ventricular dyssinchrony, who are already optimized with medical therapy. The aim of the study was to present the current clinical guidelines of cardiac resynchronization therapy and the results of current clinical trials, as well as to overview the experience of the Vilnius cCardiology-aAngiology Center. Patients and Methods: We analyse patients who underwent cardiac resynchronisation therapy in 2002–2009. Their in- and outpatient histories were studied. The patients were tested before and after the procedure. eEchocardiography was performed to assess mechanical dyssinchrony, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, B-type natriuretic peptide level. Results: Between June 2002 and December 2009 92 resynchronisation devices, were implanted. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy resulted in a higher survival of patients with NYHA III–IV. For four patients, resynchronisation therapy was a bridge to successful transplantation. Conclusions: Cardiac resynchronization therapy safely improved the quality of life in patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association class III–IV). The present criteria for patient selection have some percent age of no responders, but the survival rate in this group of patients is significantly higher than could be expected. Keywords: resynchronization, heart failure, clinical trial

Pacientų atranka širdies transplantacijai: šiuolaikiniai kriterijai

Vytė Valerija Maneikienė1, Jelena Čelutkienė2, Gitana Žemaitaitytė1, Kęstutis Ručinskas3, Saulius Miniauskas3, Sigitas Čibiras2, Vytautas Jonas Sirvydis3, Aleksandras Laucevičius2 1 Vilniaus universiteto ligoninės Santariškių klinikų Širdies chirurgijos centras, Santariškių g. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius 2 Vilniaus universiteto Širdies ir kraujagyslių ligų klinika, Santariškių g. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius 3Vilniaus universiteto Širdies chirurgijos centras, Santariškių g. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius El paštas: [email protected] Vilniaus universiteto Širdies chirurgijos centre nuo 1987 metų atliekamos širdies transplantacijos operacijos. Per šį laikotarpį recipientų sąrašuose buvo įrašyti 268 pacientai, atliktos 47 širdies transplantacijos. Šiuolaikiniai medikamentinio, elektrofiziologinio ir chirurginio gydymo metodai gerokai padidino pacientų, laukiančių širdies transplantacijos, išgyvenimą, tačiau širdies transplantacija tebėra veiksmingiausias gydymo metodas terminalinėmis širdies nepakankamumo stadijomis. Pastaraisiais metais Vilniaus universiteto Širdies chirurgijos klinikoje įdiegti nauji diagnostikos metodai (spiroergometrija, NT-pro-BNP nustatymas) leidžia praktiškai pritaikyti šiuolaikinius atrankos kriterijus. Šiame straipsnyje remiantis literatūros apžvalga įvardyti pagrindiniai recipientų atrankos širdies transplantacijai kriterijai, taikomi ir Vilniaus universiteto Širdies chirurgijos centre. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: širdies nepakankamumas, recipientų atranka, transplantacija Evaluation at selection of patients for heart transplantation: current criteria Vytė Valerija Maneikienė1, Jelena Čelutkienė2, Gitana Žemaitaitytė1, Kęstutis Ručinskas3, Saulius Miniauskas3, Sigitas Čibiras2, Vytautas Jonas Sirvydis3, Aleksandras Laucevičius2 1 Vilnius University Hospital „Santariškių klinikos“, Heart Surgery Centre, Santariškių str. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania 2 Vilnius University, Heart and Cardiovascular Diseases Clinic, Santariškių str. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania 3 Vilnius University, Heart Surgery Centre, Santariškių str. 2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: [email protected] Heart transplantations at Vilnius University Heart Surgery Centre have been performed since 1987. During all this period, 268 patients were included into the recipients’ list and 47 heart transplantations were performed. The current medical, electrophysiological and surgical methods have obviously increased the survival of patients who are waiting for heart transplantation. However, heart transplantation is still the most effective method in the end-stage heart failure. In recent years, the new diagnostic methods (spiroergometry, NT-pro-BNP) implemented at Vilnius University Heart Surgery Center enable using current selection criteria in practice. In the article, according to a literature review, all the basic criteria of evaluating and selecting recipients for heart transplantation mentioned above are used at our Center. Key words: heart failure, recipients’ selection, transplantatio

Readmission following both cardiac and non-cardiac acute dyspnoea is associated with a striking risk of death

Readmission and mortality are the most common and often combined endpoints in acute heart failure (AHF) trials, but an association between these two outcomes is poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether unplanned readmission is associated with a greater subsequent risk of death in patients with acute dyspnoea due to cardiac and non-cardiac causes.; Derivation cohort (1371 patients from the LEDA study) and validation cohort (1986 patients from the BASEL V study) included acute dyspnoea patients admitted to the emergency department. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the association of 6 month readmission and the risk of 1 year all-cause mortality in AHF and non-AHF patients and those readmitted due to cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes. In the derivation cohort, 666 (49%) of patients were readmitted at 6 months and 282 (21%) died within 1 year. Six month readmission was associated with an increased 1 year mortality risk in both the derivation cohort [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 3.0 (95% confidence interval, CI 2.2-4.0), P < 0.001] and the validation cohort (aHR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.2, P < 0.001). The significant association was similarly observed in AHF (aHR 3.2, 95% CI 2.1-4.9, P < 0.001) and other causes of acute dyspnoea (aHR 2.9, 95% CI 1.9-4.5, P < 0.001), and it did not depend on the aetiology [aHR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.1 for cardiovascular readmissions; aHR 4.1, 95% CI 2.9-5.7 for non-cardiovascular readmissions (P < 0.001 for both)] or timing of readmission. CONCLUSION​S: Our study demonstrated a long-lasting detrimental association between readmission and death in AHF and non-AHF patients with acute dyspnoea. These patients should be considered 'vulnerable patients' that require personalized follow-up for an extended period

Integration of a palliative approach into heart failure care: a European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association position paper

The Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology has published a previous position paper and various guidelines over the past decade recognizing the value of palliative care for those affected by this burdensome condition. Integrating palliative care into evidence-based heart failure management remains challenging for many professionals, as it includes the identification of palliative care needs, symptom control, adjustment of drug and device therapy, advance care planning, family and informal caregiver support, and trying to ensure a 'good death'. This new position paper aims to provide day-to-day practical clinical guidance on these topics, supporting the coordinated provision of palliation strategies as goals of care fluctuate along the heart failure disease trajectory. The specific components of palliative care for symptom alleviation, spiritual and psychosocial support, and the appropriate modification of guideline-directed treatment protocols, including drug deprescription and device deactivation, are described for the chronic, crisis and terminal phases of heart failure

Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020

Background The effectiveness trial “Stress echo (SE) 2020” evaluates novel applications of SE in and beyond coronary artery disease. The core protocol also includes 4-site simplified scan of B-lines by lung ultrasound, useful to assess pulmonary congestion. Purpose To provide web-based upstream quality control and harmonization of B-lines reading criteria. Methods 60 readers (all previously accredited for regional wall motion, 53 B-lines naive) from 52 centers of 16 countries of SE 2020 network read a set of 20 lung ultrasound video-clips selected by the Pisa lab serving as reference standard, after taking an obligatory web-based learning 2-h module ( http://se2020.altervista.org ). Each test clip was scored for B-lines from 0 (black lung, A-lines, no B-lines) to 10 (white lung, coalescing B-lines). The diagnostic gold standard was the concordant assessment of two experienced readers of the Pisa lab. The answer of the reader was considered correct if concordant with reference standard reading ±1 (for instance, reference standard reading of 5 B-lines; correct answer 4, 5, or 6). The a priori determined pass threshold was 18/20 (≥ 90%) with R value (intra-class correlation coefficient) between reference standard and recruiting center) > 0.90. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient statistics. Results All 60 readers were successfully accredited: 26 (43%) on first, 24 (40%) on second, and 10 (17%) on third attempt. The average diagnostic accuracy of the 60 accredited readers was 95%, with R value of 0.95 compared to reference standard reading. The 53 B-lines naive scored similarly to the 7 B-lines expert on first attempt (90 versus 95%, p = NS). Compared to the step-1 of quality control for regional wall motion abnormalities, the mean reading time per attempt was shorter (17 ± 3 vs 29 ± 12 min, p < .01), the first attempt success rate was higher (43 vs 28%, p < 0.01), and the drop-out of readers smaller (0 vs 28%, p < .01). Conclusions Web-based learning is highly effective for teaching and harmonizing B-lines reading. Echocardiographers without previous experience with B-lines learn quickly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Left ventricular function monitoring in heart failure

Imaging modalities are used for screening, risk stratification and monitoring of heart failure (HF). In particular, echocardiography represents the cornerstone in the assessment of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Despite the well-known limitations of LV ejection fraction, this parameter, repeated assessment of LV function is recommended for the diagnosis and care of patients with HF and provides prognostic information. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has an essential role in phenotyping and appropriate guiding of the therapy of patients with chronic HF. This document reflects the key points concerning monitoring LV function discussed at a consensus meeting on physiological monitoring in the complex multi-morbid HF patient under the auspices of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC