Enhanced Plaque Stabilization Effects of Alirocumab - Insights From Artificial Intelligence-Aided Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of the Alirocumab for Thin-Cap Fibroatheroma in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Estimated by Optical Coherence Tomography (ALTAIR) Study.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors stabilize vulnerable plaque, reducing cardiovascular events. However, manual optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis of drug efficacy is challenging because of signal attenuation within lipid plaques.

Methods And Results: Twenty-four patients with thin-cap fibroatheroma were prospectively enrolled and randomized to receive alirocumab (75 mg every 2 weeks) plus rosuvastatin (10 mg/day) or rosuvastatin (10 mg/day) alone.

Impact of morphofunctional assessment with quantitative flow ratio and optical coherence tomography in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Combining morphological and physiological evaluations might improve the risk stratification of patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) culprit lesions.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the clinical utility of morphofunctional evaluation after PCI for identifying ACS patients with increased risk of subsequent clinical events.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 298 consecutive ACS patients who had undergone optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided PCI.

Evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of whole-body MRI versus I-mIBG/I-mIBG imaging in metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

This study aimed to compare tumor lesion detectability and diagnostic accuracy of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) and radioiodine-labeled meta-iodo-benzylguanidine (mIBG) imaging techniques in patients with metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). This retrospective study included 13 patients had pheochromocytoma and 5 had paraganglioma, who were all suspected of having metastatic tumors. Each patient underwent WB-MRI and I-mIBG as a pretreatment screening for I-mIBG therapy.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Pre-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Nitroglycerin-Free Fractional Flow Reserve-Computed Tomography-Based Physiological Assessment in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis for Predicting Post-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Ischemia.

Background: Fractional flow reserve-computed tomography (FFR) has not been validated in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for coronary artery disease due to theoretical difficulties in using nitroglycerin for such patients.

Methods and results: In this single-center study, we prospectively enrolled 21 patients (34 vessels) and performed pre-TAVR FFRwithout nitroglycerin, pre-TAVR invasive instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) measurements, and post-TAVR FFR measurements using a pressure wire. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of pre-TAVR FFR≤0.

Recent Advances in Radiopharmaceutical Theranostics of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

As a rare kind of non-epithelial neuroendocrine neoplasms, paragangliomas (PGLs) exhibit various clinical characteristics with excessive catecholamine secretion and have been a research focus in recent years. Although several modalities are available nowadays, radiopharmaceuticals play an integral role in the management of PGLs. Theranostics utilises radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic intentions by aiming at a specific target in tumour and has been considered a possible means in diagnosis, staging, monitoring and treatment planning.

Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with lung metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer after radioiodine therapy in Japan.

Long-term survival in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and lung metastasis remains unexplored in Japan. This study aimed to investigate the long-term survival and prognostic factors of radioiodine therapy (RIT) in a University Hospital setting. This retrospective study included 62 patients with lung metastases from DTC who received RIT between March 2005 and December 2016.

Development of a novel small-animal myocardial phantom can evaluate the image quality of dual-isotope simultaneous acquisition (DISA).

Background: Myocardial phantom studies are widely used as a tool to accurately assess the physical phenomenon of dual-isotope simultaneous acquisition (DISA) in the small-animal fields. However, the previous phantom did not reproduce the structures of rats or mice. The aim of this study was to develop a novel myocardial phantom simulating the structure of a small animal that can be evaluated using the image quality of DISA.

I-labeled 2-[4-(2-iodophenyl)piperidino]cyclopentanol (I-OI5V) imaging visualized augmented sigma-1 receptor expression according to the severity of myocardial ischemia.

Background: We aimed to explore how the severity of myocardial ischemia affects myocardial sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) expression using I-labeled 2-[4-(2-iodophenyl)piperidino]cyclopentanol (I-OI5V) imaging.

Methods And Results: The left coronary artery was occluded for 30, 20, and 10 minute, to vary the severity of myocardial ischemia, followed by reperfusion. Dual-tracer autoradiography of the left ventricular short-axis slices was performed 3 and 7 days after reperfusion.

An open-label, single-arm, multi-center, phase II clinical trial of single-dose [I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine therapy for patients with refractory pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Objective: In this phase II study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of single-dose [I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) therapy in patients with refractory pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL).

Patients And Methods: This study was designed as an open-label, single-arm, multi-center, phase II clinical trial. The enrolled patients were administered 7.

Feasibility of I-RGD uptake as a marker of angiogenesis after myocardial infarction.

Objective: Angiogenesis is an important process facilitating the healing process after myocardial infarction. I-RGD imaging may be a promising candidate to image angiogenesis but may also detect inflammation.

Methods: Left coronary artery was occluded for 30 min, followed by reperfusion in a rat model (n = 31).

Prognostic factors for refractory pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma after I-metaiodobenzylguanidine therapy.

Objective: Given the rarity of refractory pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL), outcomes and prognostic factors after I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) treatment still remain unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated whether baseline characteristics at initial I-mIBG therapy and imaging response to repeated I-mIBG therapy could be prognostic factors for refractory PPGL.

Methods: All patients [n = 59 (male/female = 35/24), median age; 49.

Visualization of Dynamic Expression of Myocardial Sigma-1 Receptor After Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Using Radioiodine-Labeled 2-[4-(2-iodophenyl)piperidino]cyclopentanol (OI5V) Imaging.

Background: This study chronologically evaluated the expression of the intensity and distribution of the sigma-1 receptor (σ1R) demonstrated by radiolabeled 2-[4-(2-iodophenyl)piperidino]cyclopentanol (OI5V) in a rat model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.

Methods and results: The left coronary artery was occluded for 30 min, followed by reperfusion. Dual-tracer autoradiography with I-OI5V and Tc-MIBI was performed to assess the spatiotemporal changes in I-OI5V uptake (n=5-6).

Frailty and Bleeding After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of frailty for bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In 2439 patients who underwent their PCI, frailty was prospectively assessed according to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging clinical frailty scale (CFS). Patients were divided into three groups according to the CFS: low (CFS levels 1 to 3; 1748 patients, 71.

Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Cancer.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with cancer.

Methods and results: Cancer screening was recommended before PCI in consecutive 1,303 patients who underwent their first PCI. By using cancer screening, cancer was diagnosed in 29 patients (2.

Colchicine treatment early after infarction attenuates myocardial inflammatory response demonstrated by C-methionine imaging and subsequent ventricular remodeling by quantitative gated SPECT.

Objective: Colchicine has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent and may be cardioprotective after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated how colchicine administration after AMI affects the myocardial inflammatory response using C-methionine and subsequent ventricular remodeling using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in a rat model of AMI.

Methods: The left coronary artery (LCA) was occluded for 30 min followed by reperfusion.

Molecular Characterization and Evolution Analysis of Two Forms of TLR5 and TLR13 Genes Base on Genome Data.

TLRs (Toll-like receptors) are essential in host defense against pathogens. There are two types of TLR5, namely, membrane form of TLR5 (TLR5M) and soluble form of TLR5 (TLR5S), both of which perform a crucial role in flagellin response. TLR13 is a TLR that localizes to endosomes and recognizes nucleic acids released by internal microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Diagnostic Use of Post-therapy I-Meta-Iodobenzylguanidine Scintigraphy in Consolidation Therapy for Children with High-Risk Neuroblastoma.

I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) scintigraphy is used for evaluating disease extent in children with neuroblastoma. I-mIBG therapy has been used for evaluation in children with high-risk neuroblastoma, and post-therapy I-mIBG scintigraphy may detect more lesions compared with diagnostic I-mIBG scintigraphy. However, no studies have yet revealed the detection rate of hidden mIBG-avid lesions on post-therapy I-mIBG whole-body scan (WBS) and SPECT images in neuroblastoma children without mIBG-avid lesions as demonstrated by diagnostic I-mIBG scintigraphy.

High-dose I-mIBG as consolidation therapy in pediatric patients with relapsed neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma: the Japanese experience.

Objective: Children with relapsed neuroblastoma have a poor prognosis despite modern multimodality therapy. Novel and more effective therapeutic strategies are required for relapsed neuroblastoma. We retrospectively examined the utility of consolidation therapy with high-dose I-meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (I-mIBG) in relapsed neuroblastoma or ganglioneuroblastoma patients with complete response (CR) to induction therapy as demonstrated by diagnostic I-mIBG scintigraphy.