Application of Transesophageal Echocardiography in Amplatzer Atrial Septal Defect Occluder for Percutaneous Closure of Large Patent Foramen Ovale.

Objective: The Amplatzer patent foramen ovale (PFO) occluder is the most commonly used device for percutaneous closure of a large PFO. However, its use may predispose the patient to postoperative residual shunting. To reduce the incidence of residual shunting, we investigated the safety and effectiveness of the Amplatzer atrial septal defect (ASD) occluder for percutaneous closure of a large PFO measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and evaluated the value of TEE in this procedure.

A Prospective, Single-Center, Phase I Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Value of Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale With a Novel Biodegradable Occluder.

Objective: Traditional metal alloy occluders for the closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) may be associated with some potential complications, and may restrict the trans-septal access to the left atrium for future treatment of left-sided heart disease. Increasing attention has been paid to novel biodegradable occluders (NBOs) to achieve PFO closure. We aimed to evaluate the role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnostic and anatomical evaluation of PFO, as well as in the Post-procedural assessment after transcatheter closure with a NBO.

Efficacy and Safety of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Mild Mitral Stenosis Patients with High Bleeding Risk.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in patients with mitral stenosis (MS), but the efficacy of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in these patients remains unclear.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LAAO in patients with MS complicated by AF at high risk of bleeding.We recruited patients from September 2015 to September 2018.

Importance of Persistent Right-to-Left Shunt After Patent Foramen Ovale Closure in Cryptogenic Stroke Patients.

Percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is widely performed to prevent recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack in patients with cryptogenic stroke. However, the influence of different degrees of right-to-left shunting (RLS) has rarely been reported. We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 268 patients with cryptogenic stroke who underwent PFO closure at our hospital from April 2012 through April 2015.

Adults with current asthma but not former asthma have higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a population-based prospective cohort study.

Higher mortality in asthmatics has been shown previously. However, evidence on different asthma phenotypes on long-term mortality risk is limited. The aim was to evaluate the impact of asthma phenotypes on mortality in general population.

Efficacy of patent foramen ovale closure for treating migraine: a prospective follow-up study.

This study aims to evaluate the potential of percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure to improve the headache in patients with migraine and PFO, and discuss the difference between the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the single-center studies. Patients of migraine with a large shunt of PFO, who experienced ≥2 headache attacks per month and failed ≥2 categories of standardized medication, underwent PFO closure in First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University. The clinical outcomes, including frequency and duration of headache attacks, Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) score, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up after the PFO closure.

LincRNA-Cox2 promotes pulmonary arterial hypertension by regulating the let-7a-mediated STAT3 signaling pathway.

It is well supported by the literature that the proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) are critical for the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Long intergenic noncoding RNA COX2 (lincRNA-COX2) is a regulator of inflammation and might be conducive to the progression of atherosclerosis, while its role in PAH is still unclear. This study was performed to explore the role and mechanism of lincRNA-COX2 in PASMCs proliferation and migration in an anaerobic environment.

Feasibility of Device Closure for Multiple Atrial Septal Defects With an Inferior Sinus Venosus Defect: Procedural Planning Using Three-Dimensional Printed Models.

Background: Multiple atrial septal defects (ASD) with an inferior sinus venosus defect (SVD) have always been considered to be contraindications for interventional therapy. On the basis of early experience using a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occluder for interventional treatment for inferior ASD, this study investigated the feasibility of transcatheter closure of multiple ASDs with an inferior SVD under the guidance of three-dimensional (3D) printed heart models.

Methods: Between August 2016 and February 2017, five patients who were diagnosed with multiple ASDs with an inferior SVD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans and three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to generate heart disease models by a 3D printing technique.

Safety of an improved patent ductus arteriosus occluder for transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects with abnormally attached tricuspid chordae tendineae.

Background: The off-label use of various devices has been reported for the transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (PmVSD) because of serious complications, such as heart block and tricuspid regurgitation (TR), associated with conventional ventricular septal defect devices. However, whether certain defects such as PmVSD with abnormally attached tricuspid are fit for interventional treatment is still disputable.

Aim: To explore the feasibility and safety of transcatheter closure of PmVSD with abnormally attached tricuspid chordae tendineae using an improved patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occluder.

Transcatheter Closure of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defects in Children using a Wire-Drifting Technique.

Objective: Explore the feasibility and safety of transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects using a wire-drifting technique (WT) in children.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 121 pediatric patients diagnosed with perimembranous ventricular septal defects who underwent interventional treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from Dec 2011 to Dec 2014. Based on the method used for arteriovenous loop establishment during the procedure, the patients were divided into a conventional technique (CT) group and a WT group.

Comparison of Different Contrast Agents in Detecting Cardiac Right-to-Left Shunt in Patients with a Patent Foramen Ovale during Contrast-Transthoracic Echocardiography.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of two different contrast agents to detect cardiac right-to-left shunting in patients with a patent foramen ovale during contrast transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography. Eighty-four patients who had migraines or experienced cryptogenic stroke were prospectively enrolled. Contrast echocardiography of the right portion of the heart was performed using an injection of either (i) 8 ml of agitated saline, 1 ml of blood, and 1 ml of air (ASB) or (ii) 4 ml of vitamin B and 6 ml of sodium bicarbonate solution (VSBS).

A Case Report on Pulmonary Arteriovenous Fistula with Recurrent Cerebral Infarction.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) and pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (PAVF) have been both proposed as a mechanism for cerebral infarction. However, there are only a few reports on how to distinguish the role of the two factors in cerebral infarction.

Multidisciplinary assessment of PFO with substantial right-to-left shunting and medium-term follow-up after PFO device closure: A single-center experience.

Objectives: To describe the multidisciplinary assessment of patent foramen ovale (PFO) with substantial right-to-left shunting (RLS) and medium-term follow-up after PFO closure for stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Background: PFO closure is a therapeutic option to prevent recurrent ischemic event in patients with cryptogenic stroke and TIA. The apparent lack of benefit seen in previous studies was in part due to the inclusion of patients with alternate mechanisms of stroke/TIA.

Safety and efficacy of Cardi-O-fix occluder for percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale: A single-center prospective study.

Background: Amplatzer occluder and Cardio-O-fix occluder are currently used in percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale. However, there is still a lack of relevant reports comparison the differences between them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term and mid-term safety and efficacy of the Cardi-O-fix occluder in preventing recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with a patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Let-7a-transfected mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension by suppressing pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell growth through STAT3-BMPR2 signaling.

Background: Cell-based gene therapy has become a subject of interest for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a devastating disease characterized by pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) hyperplasia. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently acknowledged as a potential cell vector for gene therapy. Here, we investigated the effect of MSC-based let-7a for PAH.

CTRP9 Ameliorates Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Through Attenuating Inflammation and Improving Endothelial Cell Survival and Function.

Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation are believed to be 2 primary instigators of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH). C1q/TNF-related protein 9 (CTRP9) plays important roles in anti-inflammation and improvement of epithelial function. However, the role of CTRP9 in the progression of PH remains still unclear.

miR-223 Inhibits Lipid Deposition and Inflammation by Suppressing Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling in Macrophages.

Atherosclerosis and its complications rank as the leading cause of death with the hallmarks of lipid deposition and inflammatory response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently garnered increasing interests in cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated the function of miR-223 and the underlying mechanism in atherosclerosis.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a patient with a pre-existing patent foramen ovale successfully treated with an atrial septal occluder.

Platypnea orthodeoxia syndrome is associated with dyspnea and arterial oxygen desaturation accentuated by an upright posture. It can be secondary to an intracardiac shunt. We report a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) in a 58-year old male patient who had a pre-existing patent foramen ovale (PFO) and substantial pulmonary pathologies.

Comparison of the effectiveness and safety of single versus dual occluders for the closure of multiple atrial septal defects.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of a single vs dual occluders in the treatment of multiple atrial septal defects (ASDs).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with multiple ASDs treated with single or dual Amplatzer septal occluders from January 2010 to March 2013. Data extracted from the medical records included patient demographic information, ASD sizes, distance between the defects, preprocedure and postprocedure echocardiographic parameters, and treatment-related complications.

[The effect of oversized occluder on endothelialization after percutaneous closure of experimental atrial septal defect in dogs].

Objective: To observe the effect of oversized occluder on endothelialization post percutaneous closure of experimental atrial septal defect (ASD) in dogs.

Methods: ASD was established with the help of transthoracic echocardiography in 18 dogs. ASD size was (6.

[Clinical observation of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia].

Objective: To explore the treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in venous thromboembolism.

Methods: A total of 202 patients with venous thromboembolism without anticoagulation contraindications were enrolled. All of them were treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and/or unfractionated heparin (UFH).