Prognostic impact of radiological tumor burden in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab.

Purpose: Radiological tumor burden has been reported to be prognostic in many malignancies in the immunotherapy era, yet whether it is prognostic in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) treated with pembrolizumab remains uninvestigated. We sought to assess the predictive and prognostic value of radiological tumor burden in patients with mUC.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 308 patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab.

Relationship between device-detected subclinical atrial fibrillation and heart failure in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading preventable cause of heart failure (HF) for which early detection and treatment is critical. Subclinical-AF is likely to go untreated in the routine care of patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D).

Hypothesis: The hypothesis of our study is that subclinical-AF is associated with HF hospitalization and increasing an inappropriate therapy.

Idiopathic basal crux ventricular arrhythmias with left bundle branch block and superior axis: A comparison with inferior-septal valvular arrhythmias.

Introduction: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) with superior axis is common in patients with idiopathic-ventricular arrhythmia (VA) originating from the tricuspid annulus (TA) and rarely from the cardiac basal crux and mitral annulus (MA). We described the electrocardiography and electrophysiological findings of idiopathic-VA presenting with LBBB and superior axis.

Methods And Results: We described 42 idiopathic-VA patients who had an LBBB and superior axis; 15 basal crux-VA, 17 TA-VA, and 10 MA-VA.

J-Wave Elevation in the Inferior Leads Predicts Lethal Ventricular Arrhythmia Initiated by Premature Ventricular Contractions With Right Bundle Branch Block and Superior Axis.

Background: Lethal ventricular arrhythmia (VA) can be initiated by idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating from the left ventricular (LV) inferior wall. Furthermore, J-wave elevation in the inferior leads on ECG is sometimes associated with lethal VA. However, the relationship between these PVCs and J-wave elevation in patients with lethal VA is unclear, so we investigated it in the present study.

Association left ventricular lead and ventricular arrhythmias after upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Background: There are some controversial reports related to the pro-arrhythmic or anti-arrhythmic potential of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and little is known about the relationship between ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and left ventricular (LV)-lead threshold.

Hypothesis: Upgrade CRT is anti-arrhythmic effect of VA with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients and has a relationship with the incident of VA and LV-lead threshold.

Methods: Among 384 patients with the implantation of CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D), 102 patients underwent an upgrade from ICD to CRT-D.

Predictors of Mortality, Rehospitalization for Syncope and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Cardiovascular Syncope.

Background: Predictors of poor outcomes remain unknown for cardiovascular syncope patients after discharge.

Methods and results: We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients admitted to hospital with cardiovascular syncope. We then performed Cox stepwise logistic regression analysis to identify significant independent factors for death, rehospitalization for syncope, and cardiovascular events.

Effects of Aging on the Coagulation Fibrinolytic System in Outpatients of the Cardiovascular Department.

Background: Although clinical trials demonstrate that the elderly with atrial fibrillation have risks of thrombosis and bleeding, the relationship between aging and coagulation fibrinolytic system in "real-world" cardiology outpatients is uncertain.

Methods and results: We retrospectively evaluated 773 patients (mean age: 58 years; 52% men; Asian ethnicity). To thoroughly investigate markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis, we simultaneously measured levels of D-dimer, prothrombin-fragment1+2 (F1+2), plasmin-α2 plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC), and thrombomodulin (TM).

Recurrence of atrial fibrillation within three months after pulmonary vein isolation for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Analysis using external loop recorder with auto-trigger function.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) via catheter ablation has been shown to be a highly effective treatment option for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The recurrence of AF within 3 months after PVI is not considered to be the result of ablation procedure failure, because early recurrence of AF is not always associated with late recurrence. We examined the usefulness of an external loop recorder with an auto-trigger function (ELR-AUTO) for the detection of atrial fibrillation following PVI to characterize early recurrence and to determine the implications of AF occurrence within 3 months after PVI.

J-Wave in Patients With Syncope.

Background: Syncope is a common occurrence. The presence of J-wave, also known as early repolarization, on electrocardiogram is often seen in the general population, but the relationship between syncope and J-wave is unclear.

Methods and results: After excluding 67 patients with structural heart disease from 326 with syncope, we classified 259 patients according to the presence or absence of J-wave (≥1 mm) in at least 2 inferior or lateral leads.

Single center experience in Japanese patients with syncope.

Background And Purpose: The present diagnostic method and features of syncope in Japan are unclear. Implantable loop recorder (ILR) and head-up tilt tests have recently become available for diagnosing syncope. The examination method and rates of diagnosing syncope may vary.

Non-enzymatic in vitro production of circular hammerhead ribozyme targeting the template region of human telomerase RNA.

Circular RNA is more stable than linear RNA both in vitro and in vivo because of its inaccessibility to exoribonucleases. Therefore, circularization of functional RNAs is a potentially useful methodology for designing therapeutic RNA reagents. We designed a circular hammerhead ribozyme that can cleave the template region of human telomerase RNA.