Aortic Dissection Incidence and Risk Factor Analysis: Findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Objective: Data on the incidence of aortic dissection (AD) from population based prospective studies are scarce and its risk factors are not well studied in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the relatively accurate incidence of AD in ten regions of China and to identify its potential risk factors using a population based prospective study.

Methods: Data from a prospective cohort study involving ∼510 000 middle aged adults in ten regions of China from 2004 - 2008 (the China Kadoorie Biobank) were used.

Matrix metalloproteinases in aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection, characterized by a high immediate mortality, is primarily caused by excessive bleeding within the walls of the aorta or a severe tear within the intimal layer of the aorta. Inflammation, as well as oxidative stress and the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), are significant factors in the development and occurrence of aortic dissection. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are pivotal enzymes responsible for degrading the ECM.

Endovascular repair for thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm induced by pedicle screw implantation: a case report with 8 years follow-up.

Background: Pedicle screw instrument surgeries can result in the development of aortic pseudoaneurysm, which is a rare yet potentially severe complication; therefore, the purpose of this work is to describe the case of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta caused by the severe migration of a pedicle screw after surgery.

Case Presentation: We herein report a patient who underwent endovascular repair for the pseudoaneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta following thoracic vertebral fixation surgery. A 28-80 mm covered stent was initially inserted through the right femoral artery, and intraoperative aortography revealed a minor extravasation of contrast material.

Single-Nucleus Transcriptomic Atlas of Human Pericoronary Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Normal and Pathological Conditions.

Background: Pericoronary epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a unique visceral fat depot that surrounds the adventitia of the coronary arteries without any anatomic barrier. Clinical studies have demonstrated the association between EAT volume and increased risks for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the association remain elusive.

A Multicenter Study of the Mid-term Outcomes of Patients with Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection After Distal Porous Talos Stent-Graft Implantation.

Background: The Talos stent-graft has extended length to improve aortic remodeling, and distal porous design to decrease the rate of spinal cord ischemia (SCI). This study retrospectively analyzed its mid-term outcomes for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection in a multicenter study.

Methods: The primary safety end point was 30-day major adverse events, including all-cause mortality, dissection-related mortality, conversion to open surgery, and device-related adverse events.

Mid-term results of a prospective study for aortic dissection with a gutter-plugging chimney stent graft.

Objectives: Our goal was to access early and mid-term outcomes of a gutter-plugging chimney stent graft for treatment of Stanford type B aortic dissections in the clinical trial Prospective Study for Aortic Arch Therapy with stENt-graft for Chimney technology (PATENCY).

Methods: Between October 2018 and March 2022, patients with Stanford type B aortic dissections were treated with the Longuette chimney stent graft in 26 vascular centres. The efficiency and the incidence of adverse events over 12 months were investigated.

Single-Nucleus Multiomic Analyses Identifies Gene Regulatory Dynamics of Phenotypic Modulation in Human Aneurysmal Aortic Root.

Aortic root aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening condition that may lead to aortic rupture and is often associated with genetic syndromes, such as Marfan syndrome (MFS). Although studies with MFS animal models have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of aortic root aneurysms, this understanding of the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape in human aortic root tissue remains incomplete. This knowledge gap has impeded the development of effective targeted therapies.

Efficacy of Endovascular Repair Using Single Left Common Carotid Artery Stent Combined with Castor Single-Branched Stent-Graft in the Treatment of Regional Diseases of Zone 2 of the Aorta.

Purpose: To observe the short-term efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) using a single left common carotid artery chimney stent combined with a Castor single-branched stent-graft (SC-TEVAR) in the treatment of zone 2 (Z2) aortic diseases.

Materials And Methods: To conduct a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with Z2 aortic diseases who were treated in our department from June 2021 to April 2022. The lesions included true aortic degenerative aneurysms with diameter ≥5.

Evaluation of associations between outflow morphology and rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the outflow morphology and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk, to find risk factors for future prediction models.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 46 patients with ruptured AAAs and 46 patients with stable AAAs using a 1:1 match for sex, age, and maximum aneurysm diameter. The chi-square test, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare variables.

Timing of Intervention and Long-Term Outcomes of Type B Aortic Intramural Hematoma with Intimal Disruption at Admission.

Background: To compare the 30-day and long-term outcomes between patients with concomitant type B intramural hematoma and intimal disruption upon admission who underwent endovascular repair in the acute or subacute phases.

Methods: Data were extracted from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019. Logistic regression and Cox regression were performed to evaluate the impact of timing of intervention on 30-day and long-term outcomes, respectively.

Elongation of the proximal descending thoracic aorta and associated hemodynamics increase the risk of acute type B aortic dissection.

Background: Acute type B aortic dissection (ATBAD) is a life-threatening aortic disease. However, little information is available on predicting and understanding of ATBAD.

Objective: The study sought to explore the underlying mechanism of ATBAD by analyzing the morphological and hemodynamic characteristics related to aortic length.

Hemodynamics of different configurations of the left subclavian artery parallel stent graft for thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Background And Objective: Parallel (chimney and periscope) graft technique is an effective approach for left subclavian artery (LSA) reconstruction in patients treated by thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for the inadequate landing zone. However, certain stent graft (SG) configurations may promote thrombosis and reduce distal blood flow, increasing risks of cerebral infarction and reintervention.

Methods: In this paper, we first attempt to systematically evaluate the hemodynamic performances of different parallel graft techniques as potential determinants of complication risks.

Single-Center Preliminary Experience with Gutter-Plugging Chimney Stent-Graft for Aortic Dissection.

Purpose: To report the early 2-year results and experience of a novel gutter-plugging chimney stent-graft in a single center that participated in the clinical trial of Prospective Study for Aortic Arch Therapy with stENt-graft for Chimney technology.

Materials And Methods: Patients diagnosed with aortic dissection were treated with the novel chimney stent-grafts named Longuette™ for the left subclavian artery revascularization. Primary study outcomes were the incidence of freedom from major adverse events within 30 days and success rate of the operation over 12 months.

Engineering the maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

The maturation of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hSC-CMs) has been a major challenge to further expand the scope of their application. Over the past years, several strategies have been proven to facilitate the structural and functional maturation of hSC-CMs, which include but are not limited to engineering the geometry or stiffness of substrates, providing favorable extracellular matrices, applying mechanical stretch, fluidic or electrical stimulation, co-culturing with niche cells, regulating biochemical cues such as hormones and transcription factors, engineering and redirecting metabolic patterns, developing 3D cardiac constructs such as cardiac organoid or engineered heart tissue, or culturing under implantation. In this review, we summarize these maturation strategies, especially the recent advancements, and discussed their advantages as well as the pressing problems that need to be addressed in future studies.

Endovascular aortic arch repair with chimney technique for pseudoaneurysm.

Background: Aortic pseudoaneurysm is a life-threatening clinical condition, and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been reported to have a relatively satisfactory effect in aortic pathologies. We summarized our single-centre experience using chimney TEVAR for aortic arch pseudoaneurysms with inadequate landing zones.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from October 2015 to August 2020, 32 patients with aortic arch pseudoaneurysms underwent chimney TEVAR to exclude an aortic lesion and reconstruct the supra-aortic branches, including 3 innominate artery, 12 left common carotid arteries and 29 left subclavian arteries.

Association of Ductus Diverticulum and Acute Type B Aortic Dissection.

Rationale And Objectives: An anatomic association between ductus diverticulum and the primary entry tear in type B aortic dissection was observed. The aim was to reveal the association between ductus diverticulum and acute type B aortic dissection.

Materials And Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted.

Molecular characterization and clinical investigation of patients with heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.

Objectives: Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection has a genetic predisposition and a variety of clinical manifestations. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and molecular characterizations of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection and further explore the relationship between the genotype and phenotype, as well as their postoperative outcomes.

Methods: A total of 1095 individuals with thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection admitted to our hospital between 2013 and 2022 were included.

Surgical treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of type B aortic dissection involving the aortic arch.

Objective: In the present report, we have described the outcomes of endovascular repair, hybrid arch repair, and open surgical repair for type B dissection involving the aortic arch (B).

Methods: Cases of endovascular repair, hybrid arch repair, and open surgical repair performed between January 2015 and December 2019 for aortic dissection designated as B by the Society for Vascular Surgery/Society of Thoracic Surgeons classification were retrospectively analyzed. The primary end point was all-cause mortality at follow-up.

HTAADVar: Aggregation and fully automated clinical interpretation of genetic variants in heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.

Purpose: Early detection and pathogenicity interpretation of disease-associated variants are crucial but challenging in molecular diagnosis, especially for insidious and life-threatening diseases, such as heritable thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (HTAAD). In this study, we developed HTAADVar, an unbiased and fully automated system for the molecular diagnosis of HTAAD.

Methods: We developed HTAADVar (http://htaadvar.

Outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair with chimney technique for aortic arch diseases.

Objective: This study aimed to summarize the long-term experience of using the chimney technique in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for aortic arch diseases.

Methods: From November 2007 to June 2021, a total of 345 consecutive patients (mean age 56 ± 11.3 years, range 28-83, 302 men) with aortic arch pathologies underwent TEVAR combined with chimney technique (cTEVAR).

First-in-Human Implantation of Gutter-Free Design Stent-Graft in Fenestration TEVAR for Aortic Arch Pathology.

Purpose: To report the technology and preliminary result of gutter-free design stent-grafted in fenestration thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Description: The gutter-free stent-graft has a nickel-titanium self-expanding skeleton, double polytetrafluoroethylene coating, and an outer-skirt fabric structure (named C-skirt endograft). The outer skirt fabric prevents endoleak from the gutter around the stent graft fenestration.

Survival and aortic remodeling outcomes in patients with type B aortic intramural hematoma in the endovascular era: An observational cohort study.

Background: The late outcomes of patients with type B aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) receiving medical treatment (MT) have varied greatly. Whether endovascular stent graft placement in the descending aorta will provide beneficial effects for patients with type B IMH has remained uncertain. We have presented the survival and aortic remodeling outcomes for patients with type B IMH stratified by the treatment received (MT vs endovascular treatment [ET]).