Initial therapeutic anticoagulation with rivaroxaban compared to prophylactic therapy with heparins in moderate to severe COVID-19: results of the COVID-PREVENT randomized controlled trial.

Background: COVID-19 is associated with a prothrombotic state. Current guidelines recommend prophylactic anticoagulation upon hospitalization.

Methods: COVID-PREVENT, an open-label, multicenter, randomized, clinical trial enrolled patients (≥ 18 years) with moderate to severe COVID-19 and age-adjusted D-dimers > 1.

Impact of Homoarginine on Myocardial Function and Remodeling in a Rat Model of Chronic Renal Failure.

Purpose: Low plasma concentrations of the amino acid homoarginine (HA) have been shown to correlate with adverse cardiovascular outcome, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease. The present study sought to investigate the effect of HA treatment on cardiac remodeling in rats undergoing artificially induced renal insufficiency by 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx).

Methods: A total of 33 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham and 5/6 Nx groups, receiving either placebo treatment or 400 mg·kg·day HA over a 4-week period.

[Update on primary spontaneous pneumothorax - conservative or primarily surgical therapy?].

Spontaneous pneumothorax is a potentially life-threatening situation. Therefore, it is mandatory to treat it safely. The incidence is approximately 10 out of 100 000 residents per year.

Real-world outcomes in non-endemic hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy: a 20-year German single-referral centre experience.

Background: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis is caused by pathogenic variants in the gene and typically manifests, alongside cardiac and other organ dysfunctions, with a rapidly progressive sensorimotor and autonomic polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) leading to severe disability. While most prospective studies have focussed on endemic ATTRv-PN, real-world data on non-endemic, mostly late-onset ATTRv-PN are limited.

Methods: This retrospective study investigated ATTRv-PN patients treated at the Amyloidosis Centre of Heidelberg University Hospital between November 1999 and July 2020.

The Zebrafish () Is a Relevant Model for Studying Sex-Specific Effects of 17β-Estradiol in the Adult Heart.

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and there are significant sex differences therein. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) is thought to play a major role in cardiovascular sex differences and to be protective, but this may not hold true for males.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and spinal canal stenosis: harbingers of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy?

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and spinal canal stenosis can be frequently observed in the medical history of patients with transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), both in the hereditary (mt-ATTR) and wild-type (wt-ATTR) form. The aim of this retrospective single-center analysis was to determine the prevalence of these findings, delay to diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis and the prognostic value in a large cohort of patients with wt-ATTR and mt-ATTR amyloidosis.

Methods: Medical records of 253 patients diagnosed with wt-ATTR, 136 patients with mt-ATTR and 77 asymptomatic gene carriers were screened for history of CTS and spinal canal stenosis and laboratory analysis, electrocardiography and echocardiographic results, respectively.

Peak V'O is an independent predictor of survival in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Introduction: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has repeatedly been reported to reliably predict adverse outcomes in different forms of heart failure. However, it has not been elucidated in detail in cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Therefore, we evaluated the predictive value of CPET parameters in patients with CA regarding disease severity and prediction of mortality.

Induction of cardiac dysfunction in developing and adult zebrafish by chronic isoproterenol stimulation.

Zebrafish is a widely used model to evaluate genetic variants and modifiers that can cause heart muscle diseases. Surprisingly, the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) pathway in zebrafish is not well characterized, although abnormal β-AR signaling is a major contributor to human heart failure (HF). Chronic β-AR activation in the attempt to normalize heart function in the failing heart results in a reduction of the β-ARs expression and receptor desensitization, largely mediated through G-protein coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) upregulation.

Cardiac Amyloid Load: A Prognostic and Predictive Biomarker in Patients With Light-Chain Amyloidosis.

Background: Cardiac amyloid load has not been analyzed for its effect on mortality in patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) cardiac amyloidosis.

Objectives: This study retrospectively compared histological amyloid load with common clinical predictors of mortality.

Methods: This study assessed 216 patients with histologically confirmed cardiac amyloidosis at a single center with electrocardiography, echocardiography, and laboratory testing.

Essential light chain S195 phosphorylation is required for cardiac adaptation under physical stress.

Aims: Regulatory proteins of the sarcomere are pivotal for normal heart function and when affected by mutations are frequently causing cardiomyopathy. The exact function of these regulatory proteins and how mutations in these translate into distinct cardiomyopathy phenotypes remains poorly understood. Mutations in the essential myosin light chain (ELC) are linked to human cardiomyopathy characterized by a marked variability in disease phenotypes and high incidences of sudden death.

Advanced echocardiography in adult zebrafish reveals delayed recovery of heart function after myocardial cryoinjury.

Translucent zebrafish larvae represent an established model to analyze genetics of cardiac development and human cardiac disease. More recently adult zebrafish are utilized to evaluate mechanisms of cardiac regeneration and by benefiting from recent genome editing technologies, including TALEN and CRISPR, adult zebrafish are emerging as a valuable in vivo model to evaluate novel disease genes and specifically validate disease causing mutations and their underlying pathomechanisms. However, methods to sensitively and non-invasively assess cardiac morphology and performance in adult zebrafish are still limited.

The heart in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: early detection of contractile performance alteration.

Progressive cardiomyopathy is a major cause of death in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Coupling between Ca(2+) handling and contractile properties in dystrophic hearts is poorly understood. It is also not clear whether developing cardiac failure is dominated by alterations in Ca(2+) pathways or more related to the contractile apparatus.