Cardiac MRI Evaluation of Determinants and Prognostic Implications of Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Aortic Regurgitation.

Purpose To investigate the determinants and effect of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in aortic regurgitation (AR) using cardiac MRI. Materials and Methods This study included patients with moderate or severe AR who were enrolled in the DEBAKEY-CMR registry between January 2009 and June 2020. Patients with previous valve intervention, cardiomyopathy deemed unrelated to AR, severe aortic stenosis, and other confounders were excluded.

A novel histologic index for polyomavirus nephropathy in comparison with the Banff scoring system: Clinical validation, prognostic implication, and correlation with plasma viral load.

BK Polyomavirus nephropathy (PVN) with definitive diagnosis on biopsy, presents incidentally or with varying degrees of graft dysfunction. Banff working group on PVN has proposed a novel scoring system in renal biopsies, to identify patients with higher risk of graft failure. In this study, we attempted to validate the Banff scoring system at index biopsies and correlate with a novel index score, plasma BK-virus load and graft outcome.

The Utility of Interferon-γ Release Assays in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Patients With Cancer.

Background: Patients with cancer are at elevated risk for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. Diagnosis of latent TB infection and TB disease remains challenging in this patient population despite the advent of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with cancer who had IGRA testing (QuantiFERON-TB [QFT-TB] or T-SPOT.

Outcomes of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Liver Transplantation Utilizing Extended Criteria Donor Grafts.

Background: The deceased donor shortage in the United States has led to increased utilization extended criteria donor (ECD) liver grafts. Centers often utilize ECD grafts in patients with low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, like patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, few studies have directly examined the outcomes of using ECD grafts in patients with HCC.

Opioid use in thoracic surgery: a retrospective study on postoperative complications.

Background: Opioids are important medications that are used to control postoperative pain. The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program has reduced opioid use after surgery. In a surgical practice with a robust ERAS program, we wanted to determine if there was a relationship between in-hospital opioid use and postoperative complications.

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Chronic Aortic Regurgitation: Comparison With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Implications for Guideline Recommendations.

Background: Guidelines for echocardiographic evaluation of aortic regurgitation (AR) have not been validated against an independent quantitative standard.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the ASE (American Society of Echocardiography) AR guidelines against cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and to develop simplified approaches for detection of significant AR.

Methods: Patients with AR underwent echocardiography and CMR <4 hours apart.

Implications of myocardial strain in primary mitral regurgitation-a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

Aims: Chronic primary mitral regurgitation (MR) results in progressive left ventricular (LV) remodelling. Abnormal myocardial deformation (strain) can be present despite preserved ejection fraction (EF). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) feature-tracking techniques allow assessment of global longitudinal strain (GLS) from routine cine images.

The Impact of Kidney/Pancreas Transplantation on Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Introduction: It is unclear whether kidney/pancreas (KP) transplantation will prevent the progression of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM) and end-stage renal disease. We sought to determine the pre- and posttransplant prevalence of symptomatic PAD and changes in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in KP recipients.

Methods: In this single center study, outcomes were compared between KP recipients with and without a history of PAD.

Association of secondary mitral regurgitation and right ventricular dysfunction among patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: The association between secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in heart failure patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is unclear. Hence, our objective was to study the association between secondary MR and the occurrence of RV dysfunction among patients with NICM using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods And Results: Patients with NICM were enrolled in a prospective observational registry between 2008 and 2019.

Reproducibility and prognostic ability of chronicity parameters in kidney biopsy - Comprehensive evaluation comparing microscopy and artificial intelligence in digital pathology.

Introduction: Semi-quantitative scoring of various parameters in renal biopsy is accepted as an important tool to assess disease activity and prognostication. There are concerns on the impact of interobserver variability in its prognostic utility, generating a need for computerized quantification.

Methods: We studied 94 patients with renal biopsies, 45 with native diseases and 49 transplant patients with index biopsies for Polyomavirus nephropathy.

Single-center Outcomes After Liver Transplantation With SARS-CoV-2-Positive Donors: An Argument for Increased Utilization.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in SARS-CoV-2-test positive potential organ donors. The benefits of life-saving liver transplantation (LT) must be balanced against the potential risk of donor-derived viral transmission. Although emerging evidence suggests that the use of COVID-19-positive donor organs may be safe, granular series thoroughly evaluating safety are still needed.

Comparison Between REVEAL Lite 2 and COMPERA 2.0 for Risk Stratification in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Risk stratification is the cornerstone of the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Current European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines recommend using the Comparative, Prospective Registry of Newly Initiated Therapies for Pulmonary Hypertension (COMPERA) three-strata risk model at baseline and the COMPERA 2.0 four-strata model at follow-up.

Enhanced recovery after surgery may mitigate the risks associated with robotic-assisted fundoplication in lung transplant patients.

Introduction: A history of lung transplantation is a risk factor for poor outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic fundoplication. We wanted to determine whether enhanced recovery after a robotic-assisted surgery program would mitigate these risks.

Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgery database for patients who underwent elective antireflux procedures from 1/2018 to 2/2021 under the enhanced recovery after surgery program using robotic assistance.

Effectiveness of combined plasma cell therapy and costimulation blockade based desensitization regimen in heart transplant candidates.

Background: Desensitization is one of the strategies to reduce antibodies and facilitate heart transplantation in highly sensitized patients. We describe our center's desensitization experience with combination of plasma cell (PC) depletion therapy (with proteasome inhibitor or daratumumab) and costimulation blockade (with belatacept).

Methods: We reviewed five highly sensitized patients who underwent desensitization therapy with plasma cell depletion and costimulation blockade.

Osteocalcin protects islet identity in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice on high-fat diet.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an increasing global health threat and strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). MetS causes both hyperinsulinemia and islet size overexpansion, and pancreatic β-cell failure impacts insulin and proinsulin secretion, mitochondrial density, and cellular identity loss. The low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLr-/-) model combined with high-fat diet (HFD) has been used to study alterations in multiple organs, but little is known about the changes to β-cell identity resulting from MetS.

Anti-Tuberculosis Potential of OJT008 against Active and Multi-Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: In Silico and In Vitro Inhibition of Methionine Aminopeptidase.

Despite the recent progress in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), the chemotherapeutic management of TB continues to be challenging. (), the etiological agent of TB, is classified as the 13th leading cause of death globally. In addition, 450,000 people were reported to develop multi-drug-resistant TB globally.

Work relative value units undervalue the clinical effort associated with teaching cases: An ACS-NSQIP analysis.

Purpose: Work-relative-value-units (wRVUs) are a core metric of faculty effort but do not account for the additional work associated with intraoperative teaching. This study introduces and assesses an indexed effort, wRVU per minute (wRVU index). We hypothesize that there is a significant decrease in the calculated wRVU index among teaching cases.

Sex differences in myocardial remodeling and extracellular volume in aortic regurgitation.

Whether sex differences exist in the cardiac remodeling related to aortic regurgitation (AR) is unclear. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the current non-invasive reference standard for cardiac remodeling assessment and can evaluate tissue characteristics. This prospective cohort included patients with AR undergoing CMR between 2011 and 2020.

Progress in Combined Liver-lung Transplantation at a Single Center.

Unlabelled: Combined liver-lung transplantation is an uncommon, although vital, procedure for patients with simultaneous end-stage lung and liver disease. The utility of lung-liver transplant has been questioned because of initial poor survival outcomes, particularly when compared with liver-alone transplant recipients.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective review of the medical records of 19 adult lung-liver transplant recipients was conducted, comparing early recipients (2009-2014) with a recent cohort (2015-2021).