Comparison between TightRail rotating dilator sheath and GlideLight laser sheath for transvenous lead extraction.

Background: There are limited data on the comparative analyses of TightRail rotating dilator sheath (Philips) and laser sheath for lead extraction.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the TightRail sheath as a primary or secondary tool for transvenous lead extraction (TLE).

Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis of 202 consecutive patients who underwent TLE using either TightRail sheath and/or GlideLight laser sheath (Philips) in our hospital.

Baseline adverse electrical remodeling and the risk for ventricular arrhythmia in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients (MADIT CRT).

Introduction: Adverse electrical remodeling (AER), represented here as the sum absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST), has previously been shown to be directly associated with the risk for ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is known to reduce the risk for VA through various mechanisms, including reverse remodeling, and we aimed to evaluate the association between baseline AER and the risk for VA in CRT recipients.

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 961 CRT-D implanted patients from the MADIT CRT study.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Maximizing the Response to Biventricular Pacing.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has become a mainstay therapy to improve clinical outcomes of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and a wide QRS complex, in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy. As clinical experience with CRT continues to expand, the device and lead design, along with implantation techniques, have evolved as well. However, there is a significant proportion of patients with heart failure who do not have a favorable response to CRT.

Meta-analysis of Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: There are accumulating studies investigating the association between vitamin D status and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the results in these studies were inconsistent in regard to the role of vitamin D deficiency in predicting the development of AF.

Hypothesis: Vitamin D deficiency is associated increased risk of AF.

A Novel Annotation Technique During Mapping to Facilitate the Termination of Atrial Tachycardia Following Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

Introduction: The treatment of atrial tachycardia (AT) occurring after ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is challenging. The most common ablation strategy relies on entrainment, and electroanatomic activation mapping (EAM) using a conventional window of interest (WOI), centered on the easily detectable atrial signal on the coronary sinus catheter. We describe a novel EAM annotation technique that uses a WOI starting 40 milliseconds prior to the P wave in order to detect the reentrant AT exit site.

Association of Plasma Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Levels and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Numerous studies have demonstrated that plasma transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) may be involved in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF), but some discrepancy remained. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between the plasma level of TGF-β1 and the risk of AF.

Methods: Published clinical studies evaluating the association between the plasma level of TGF-β1 and the risk of AF were retrieved from PubMed and EMBASE databases.

High uric acid level predicts left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast detected by transesophageal echocardiography: Meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: Recent observational studies have suggested that the patients with hyperuricemia have a higher risk of having left atrial thrombus (LATH) or left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (LASEC) by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), while the ultimate predictive value of a high uric acid (UA) level on LATH/LASEC remained obscure.

Methods: We searched the PubMed and Cochrane clinical trials databases up to July 2015. Following screening the 369 initially identified studies, we analyzed six observational studies with 2381 patients.

Risks from Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: A Review of Methods, Efficacy, and Safety.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and is a significant burden to healthcare cost. AF causes congestive heart failure, thromboembolic events such as stroke and intolerable symptoms in some patients. With the advances and increasing experience in catheter ablation, there is now an established role for catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Meta-analysis of obstructive sleep apnea as predictor of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation.

The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atrial fibrillation (AF) is strong and is now well established. However, studies on the role of OSA on AF recurrence after catheter ablation have yielded conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of OSA on AF recurrence after catheter-based pulmonary vein isolation.

Giant saphenous vein graft aneurysm causing left atrial compression and cardiogenic shock.

Saphenous vein graft aneurysm is a rare complication of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery that is challenging to manage and is associated with catastrophic consequences. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman with prior CABG surgery who presented with chest pain and was found to have a giant saphenous vein graft pseudoaneurysm. Further evaluation revealed that a vein graft pseudoaneurysm was causing significant compression of the left atrium.

Expression of a prometastatic splice variant of osteopontin, OPNC, in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoprotein that confers on cancer cells a migratory phenotype. We demonstrated recently that nicotine, a major risk factor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), increases OPN expression in PDA cells. An OPN splice variant, OPNc, supports anchorage independence and maybe the most potent OPN isoform to convey metastatic behavior.