Pericarditis caused by Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus associated with ingestion of raw beef liver.

Campylobacter fetus is an organism residing primarily in the gastrointestinal tracts of cattle and sheep and transmitting to humans through ingestion of contaminated food products or surface water. The organism has caused various extraintestinal infections but, to date, purulent pericarditis due to the organism has rarely been described. We report a case of purulent pericarditis due to C.

Coronary high-intensity plaque on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and its association with myocardial injury after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: Non-contrast T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) has emerged as a novel non-invasive imaging for vulnerable coronary plaque showing a high-intensity plaque (HIP). However, the association between HIP and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been evaluated. We investigated the association between the presence of HIP and the incidence of myocardial injury after PCI.

Effect of the Mehran risk score for the prediction of clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The association of Mehran risk score (MRS) with long-term prognosis in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been fully reported. We investigated the association between MRS and clinical outcomes in patients who underwent PCI.

Methods: Study subjects comprised 2198 patients treated with PCI from the Ibaraki Cardiovascular Assessment Study multicenter registry, excluding patients receiving hemodialysis or who died within 7 days.

In vivo evaluation of fibrous cap thickness by optical coherence tomography for positive remodeling and low-attenuation plaques assessed by computed tomography angiography.

Background: Coronary plaques with positive remodeling (PR) and low-attenuation plaques (LAP) by computed tomography angiography (CTA) might be associated with plaque vulnerability. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between coronary plaques with PR and LAP by CTA and fibrous cap thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: We used CTA and OCT to assess 102 coronary plaques in patients with coronary artery disease (unstable angina pectoris, n=24; stable angina pectoris, n=78).

Quantitative assessment of tissue prolapse on optical coherence tomography and its relation to underlying plaque morphologies and clinical outcome in patients with elective stent implantation.

Background: Tissue prolapse (TP) is sometimes observed after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but its clinical significance remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between TP volume on optical coherence tomography (OCT) after PCI and underlying plaque morphologies and the impact of TP on clinical outcomes.

Methods: We investigated 178 native coronary lesions with normal pre-PCI creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) values (154 lesions with stable angina; 24 with unstable angina).

Association of contrast-induced acute kidney injury with long-term cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndrome patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing emergent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The association between contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been fully reported. We evaluated the association of CI-AKI on cardiovascular events in ACS patients with CKD.

Methods: A total of 1059 ACS patients who underwent emergent PCI in our multicenter registry were enrolled (69±12 years, 804 men, 604 STEMI patients).

Clinical value of plasma pentraxin 3 levels for predicting cardiac troponin elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: Post-procedural myocardial necrosis manifested by elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) often complicates percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels are increased in patients with arterial inflammation and especially unstable angina pectoris (UAP). This study tested whether plasma PTX3 levels can predict post-PCI cTnT elevation.

Differences in catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation between males and females.

Background: Catheter ablation (CA) has become a standard treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, gender-related differences associated with CA of paroxysmal AF (PAF) remain unclear.

Methods: We compared 1124 consecutive patients (mean age, 61 ± 10 years; male, n=864) with PAF scheduled for CA between the genders.

Lipoprotein(a) is an important factor to determine coronary artery plaque morphology in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] can influence the development and disruption of atherosclerotic plaques through its effect on lipid accumulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum Lp(a) levels and plaque morphology of an infarct-related lesion and non-infarct-related lesion of the coronary artery in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods And Results: Coronary plaque morphology was evaluated in 68 patients (age 62.

Impact of statin use before the onset of acute myocardial infarction on coronary plaque morphology of the culprit lesion.

Statins favorably stabilize coronary plaque. We evaluated the impact of statin use before the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on culprit lesion plaque morphology. Patients (n = 127) with AMI were divided into either a statin group (n = 31) or a nonstatin group (n = 96) based on statin use before the onset of AMI.

Prognostic value of serum tenascin-C levels on long-term outcome after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Tenascin-C (TN-C), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, is not normally expressed in the adult heart but transiently reappears under various pathologic conditions to play important roles in tissue remodeling. It is unclear whether serum TN-C levels add prognostic information independent from traditional prognostic markers.

Methods And Results: We assessed 239 patients with first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention.

Impact of coronary plaque composition on cardiac troponin elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention in stable angina pectoris: a computed tomography analysis.

Objectives: The authors used multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to study the relation between culprit plaque characteristics and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention is often complicated by post-procedural myocardial necrosis manifested by elevated cardiac biomarkers.

Methods: Stable angina patients (n = 107) with normal pre-PCI cTnT levels underwent 64-slice MDCT before PCI to evaluate plaque characteristics of culprit lesions.

Prognostic value of myocardial contrast delayed enhancement with 64-slice multidetector computed tomography after acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: This study evaluated the clinical value of myocardial contrast delayed enhancement (DE) with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for predicting clinical outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Background: Although some studies have described the use of MDCT for assessment of myocardial viability after AMI, clinical experience remains limited.

Methods: In 102 patients with first AMI, 64-slice MDCT without iodine reinjection was performed immediately following successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Effect of individual proton pump inhibitors on cardiovascular events in patients treated with clopidogrel following coronary stenting: results from the Ibaraki Cardiac Assessment Study Registry.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether combination therapy of clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) causes higher numbers of cardiovascular events than clopidogrel alone in Japanese patients.

Background: PPIs are often prescribed in combination with clopidogrel following coronary stenting. PPIs are reported to diminish the effect of clopidogrel because both are metabolized by CYP2C19.

Electrocardiographic determinants of the polymorphic QRS morphology in idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

Introduction: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) arising from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) can trigger polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients with no structural heart disease. We aimed to clarify the ECG determinants of the polymorphic QRS morphology in idiopathic RVOT PVT/VF.

Methods And Results: The ECG parameters were compared between 18 patients with idiopathic PVT/VF (PVT-group) and 21 with monomorphic VT arising from the RVOT (MVT-group).