Impact of diabetes on epicardial reperfusion and mortality in a contemporary STEMI population undergoing mechanical reperfusion: Insights from the ISACS STEMI COVID 19 registry.

Background And Aim: Diabetes has been shown in last decades to be associated with a significantly higher mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary PCI (PPCI). Therefore, the aim of current study was to evaluate the impact of diabetes on times delays, reperfusion and mortality in a contemporary STEMI population undergoing PPCI, including treatment during the COVID pandemic.

Methods And Results: The ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 is a large-scale retrospective multicenter registry involving PPCI centers from Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia and North-Africa, including patients treated from 1st of March until June 30, 2019 and 2020.

Impact of hypertension on mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty: insights from the international multicenter ISACS-STEMI registry.

Background: Hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor, with several detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. Contrasting results have been reported so far on its prognostic role in patients admitted for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Therefore, we investigated the impact of hypertension on short-term mortality in a large multicenter contemporary registry of STEMI patients, including patients treated during COVID-19 pandemic.

Polymer free biolimus coated stents to treat acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Asian patients.

Background: Patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have a high thrombotic burden and often have a high bleeding risk (HBR). Asian patients have different patterns of thrombotic and bleeding risk from other populations which may be particularly relevant in the setting of PPCI for STEMI.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of the polymer free biolimus coated coronary stent (PF-BCS, BioFreedom, Biosensors International) in Asian STEMI patients.

Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy in a Tight Circumferential Calcified Lesion in the Presence of Haematoma Extending into Left Main Coronary Artery After Rotational Atherectomy.

Calcified disease increases procedural challenges and is associated with worse outcomes in percutaneous coronary intervention. Coronary intravascular lithotripsy is a new balloon-based modality for treating calcified disease with deep circumferential calcification. Its main benefit is simplicity and safety compared to atherectomy.

Daily ambulatory remote monitoring system for drug escalation in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: pilot phase of DAVID-HF study.

Aims: Underutilization of guideline-directed heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) medications contributes to poor outcomes.

Methods And Results: A pilot study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a home-based remote monitoring system for HFrEF management was performed. The system included wearable armband monitors paired with the smartphone application.

Advances in technology and techniques for transcatheter aortic valve replacement with concomitant peripheral arterial disease.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a prevalent disease affecting 3.7% of the adult population aged 65 or above. In the past, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) was the only definitive therapy available for the treatment of severe AS.

Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on short-term outcome in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction during COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the international multicenter ISACS-STEMI registry.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is projected to become the third cause of mortality worldwide. COPD shares several pathophysiological mechanisms with cardiovascular disease, especially atherosclerosis. However, no definite answers are available on the prognostic role of COPD in the setting of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), especially during COVID-19 pandemic, among patients undergoing primary angioplasty, that is therefore the aim of the current study.

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and mortality among diabetic patients with STEMI undergoing mechanical reperfusion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, concerns have been arisen on the use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) due to the potentially increased expression of Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE)2 and patient's susceptibility to SARS-CoV2 infection. Diabetes mellitus have been recognized favoring the coronavirus infection with consequent increase mortality in COVID-19. No data have been so far reported in diabetic patients suffering from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a very high-risk population deserving of RASI treatment.

Paclitaxel Drug-Coated Balloon for the Treatment of De Novo Small-Vessel and Restenotic Coronary Artery Lesions: 12-Month Results of the Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm PREVAIL Study.

Objectives: The PREVAIL study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel-coated percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon catheter for the treatment of coronary de novo and in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions in patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease.

Methods: PREVAIL was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study that enrolled patients with clinical evidence of ischemia who had coronary lesions (de novo or first ISR) amenable to treatment with a drug-coated balloon (DCB). The study included 50 subjects (53 target lesions) who were treated with a Prevail DCB (Medtronic) during the index procedure and followed for 12 months.

Observational study on wearable biosensors and machine learning-based remote monitoring of COVID-19 patients.

Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 may deteriorate rapidly and therefore continuous monitoring is necessary. We conducted an observational study involving patients with mild COVID-19 to explore the potentials of wearable biosensors and machine learning-based analysis of physiology parameters to detect clinical deterioration. Thirty-four patients (median age: 32 years; male: 52.

Cardiovascular sequalae in uncomplicated COVID-19 survivors.

Background: A high proportion of COVID-19 patients were reported to have cardiac involvements. Data pertaining to cardiac sequalae is of urgent importance to define subsequent cardiac surveillance.

Methods: We performed a systematic cardiac screening for 97 consecutive COVID-19 survivors including electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, serum troponin and NT-proBNP assay 1-4 weeks after hospital discharge.

IgM Antibodies Can Access Cryptic Antigens Denied to IgG: Hypothesis on Novel Binding Mechanism.

Antibodies are well-known protein mediators of immunity. IgM is the primordial member and the neglected sibling of the later-evolved and more proficient IgG in regard to their therapeutic and diagnostic use. Serendipitously, however, we found a paradox: While murine IgM antibodies specific for guanosine triphosphate (GTP) were able to recognize native guanylyl antigens found in primate or rat muscle tissues by immunofluorescence assays (which mimicked the auto-antibodies from autoimmune patients to skeletal or smooth muscle), the murine and human IgG counterparts failed.

Establishment of healing profile and neointimal transformation in the new polymer-free biolimus A9-coated coronary stent by longitudinal sequential optical coherence tomography assessments: the EGO-BIOFREEDOM study.

Aims: This study aimed to establish the early healing and neointimal transformation profile of the new polymer-free BioFreedom stent through sequential optical coherence tomography (OCT) within the first nine months following stent implantation.

Methods And Results: We randomly assigned 104 BFS recipients to one of five groups with angiography and OCT follow-up at 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 months, together with another follow-up for all at nine months. The primary endpoint was the degree of OCT-detected strut coverage at nine months.

The OCT-ORION Study: A Randomized Optical Coherence Tomography Study Comparing Resolute Integrity to Biomatrix Drug-Eluting Stent on the Degree of Early Stent Healing and Late Lumen Loss.

Background: Durable polymers used in drug-eluting stents are considered a potential cause of hypersensitivity inflammatory response adversely affecting stent healing. Using a sequential follow-up with optical coherence tomography, we compared the differences in healing profiles of 2 drug-eluting stents with a biodegradable or durable polymer.

Methods And Results: Sixty patients with multivessel disease were prospectively enrolled to receive both study stents, which were randomly assigned to 2 individual vessels, a Resolute Integrity zotarolimus-eluting stent with a durable BioLinx polymer and a BioMatrix NeoFlex Biolimus A9-eluting stent with a biodegradable polylactic acid polymer.

Extrinsic pulmonary artery compression mimicking acute pulmonary embolism.

Right ventricular strain patterns on electrocardiogram such as right axis derivation and S1Q3T3 are well known for their diagnostic value in cases of acute pulmonary embolism. Nonetheless, these changes are not pathognomonic. We report a patient with electrocardiographic evidence of right ventricular strain secondary to an unusual etiology.

Osteopontin Fragments with Intact Thrombin-Sensitive Site Circulate in Cervical Cancer Patients.

We investigated whether circulating osteopontin (OPN) could be used as a biomarker for cervical cancer. We employed a monoclonal antibody (mAb 659) specific for the unique and intact thrombin-sensitive site in OPN using an inhibition ELISA. We found significantly higher levels of OPN in 33 cervical cancer patients in both the plasma (mean +/- SD, 612 +/- 106 ng/mL) and serum (424 +/- 121 ng/mL) compared to healthy subjects [409 +/- 56 ng/mL, from 31 plasma samples (P < 0.

Evaluation of Early Healing Profile and Neointimal Transformation Over 24 Months Using Longitudinal Sequential Optical Coherence Tomography Assessments and 3-Year Clinical Results of the New Dual-Therapy Endothelial Progenitor Cell Capturing Sirolimus-Eluting Combo Stent: The EGO-Combo Study.

Background: Current monotherapy drug-eluting stents are associated with impaired healing, neoatherosclerosis, and late stent thrombosis. The healing profile and neointimal transformation of the first dual-therapy endothelial progenitor cell-capturing sirolimus-eluting stent are unknown.

Methods And Results: In this prospective, single-center study, 61 patients treated with the Combo stent had optical coherence tomography at baseline, early follow-up (4 monthly groups in a 1:2:2:1 ratio from 2 to 5 months), 9 months, and 24 months.

Promoting Sex Education Among Teenagers Through an Interactive Game: Reasons for Success and Implications.

Objectives: A game application, "Making Smart Choices", was developed to fill the gap of limited easy-to-access resources available on sex education in Hong Kong and to disseminate correct knowledge and positive attitudes toward sex to teenagers using popular platforms such as tablets, Facebook, and the Web.

Subjects And Methods: Three versions of the game (iPAD, Facebook, and Web-based) were developed using HTML5. A theoretical framework that involved game-based learning and participatory design approach was used to design, develop, modify, and optimize the game for use with secondary school students (n=1176) 12-16 years of age.

Microbiological culture simplified using anti-O12 monoclonal antibody in TUBEX test to detect Salmonella bacteria from blood culture broths of enteric fever patients.

Definitive diagnosis of infectious diseases, including food poisoning, requires culture and identification of the infectious agent. We described how antibodies could be used to shorten this cumbersome process. Specifically, we employed an anti-Salmonella lipopolysaccharide O12 monoclonal antibody in an epitope-inhibition 10-min test (TUBEX TP) to detect O12⁺Salmonella organisms directly from routine blood culture broths.

The CEPHEUS Pan-Asian survey: high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment rate among hypercholesterolaemic patients undergoing lipid-lowering treatment in a Hong Kong regional centre.

OBJECTIVES. To evaluate attainment of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals among hypercholesterolaemic patients undergoing lipid-lowering drug treatment in Hong Kong and to identify potential determinants of treatment outcomes. DESIGN.