Optimal Strategy for Provisional Side Branch Intervention in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: 3-Year Outcomes of the SMART-STRATEGY Randomized Trial.

Objectives: This study compared the long-term follow-up results of conservative versus aggressive strategies for provisional side branch (SB) intervention in coronary bifurcation lesions.

Background: The appropriate criteria for provisional SB ballooning or stenting have not been established.

Methods: A total of 258 patients with a large bifurcation lesion were randomized to a conservative or aggressive SB intervention strategy.

Changes in microRNAs expression profile of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in response to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) infection.

To know the effect of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) infection on the cellular microRNA expression profile in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), fish were infected with VHSV, and cellular microRNAs expression was analyzed at 0 (control), 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-infection (h.p.i.

Frequency of concomitant ischemic heart disease and risk factor analysis for an early postoperative myocardial infarction after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Purpose: We aimed to see the frequency of concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Korean patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to determine risk factors for an early postoperative acute myocardial infarction (PAMI) after elective open or endovascular AAA repair.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a database of patients who underwent elective AAA repair over the past 11 years. Patients were classified into 3 groups: control group; group I, medical IHD treatment; group II, invasive IHD treatment.

Optimal medical therapy may be a better initial strategy in patients with chronic total occlusion of a single coronary artery.

Objectives: To compare clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with those of optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a single coronary artery.

Background: Limited data are available on the efficacy of OMT for the treatment of single-vessel CTO.

Methods: Between March 2003 and February 2012, we enrolled 2024 CTO patients in a retrospective, observational registry and analyzed 435 patients with CTO of a single coronary artery.

Efficacy and Safety of DP-R202 in Patients with Chronic Artery Occlusive Disease: Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Active-controlled Parallel Group Phase III Clinical Study.

Purpose: Sarpogrelate hydrochloride, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A antagonist, is a widely used antiplatelet agent for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). DP-R202 is a new sarpogrelate hydrochloride product with an improved dosage regimen compared with the agent in current use. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety profile of DP-R202 and Anplag(⁎) Tab in patients with PAD.

Percutaneous removal using Perclose ProGlide closure devices versus surgical removal for weaning after percutaneous cannulation for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Objective: The removal of arterial cannulas using a Perclose device (Abbott Vascular, Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland) has not been reported in patients undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We investigated the procedural outcomes and complications of percutaneous device closure vs surgical repair for hemostatic control of the arterial access site in weaning from venoarterial ECMO.

Methods: Between September 2012 and December 2014, 115 patients with ECMO weaned by percutaneous or surgical access were enrolled.

Clopidogrel Versus Aspirin as an Antiplatelet Monotherapy After 12-Month Dual-Antiplatelet Therapy in the Era of Drug-Eluting Stents.

Background: The use of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) exceeding 12 months may increase a bleeding risk despite a lower risk of ischemic events. There is no study to compare clinical outcomes in patients treated with a single-antiplatelet drug after DAPT in the era of drug-eluting stents (DES). We sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of clopidogrel versus aspirin monotherapy after 12-month DAPT after DES implantation using an institutional registry.

The Impact of Renal Dysfunction on the Long Term Clinical Outcomes of Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Drug-Eluting Stent Era.

Background: Limited data are available regarding the association between renal dysfunction and clinical outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era.

Methods: Between March 2003 and December 2010, 2,181 diabetic patients were enrolled in a single-center registry. We divided diabetic patients into a renal dysfunction group (n = 518) and a non-renal dysfunction group (n = 1,663) according to a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.

A protective role of early collateral blood flow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Unlabelled: Conflict persists regarding whether the presence of early collateral blood flow to the infarct-related artery has an effective role in reducing infarct size and improving myocardial salvage in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We sought to investigate the impact of the collateral circulation on myocardial salvage and infarct size in STEMI patients.

Methods: In 306 patients who were diagnosed with STEMI and underwent cardiac magnetic resonance within 1 week after revascularization, initial collateral flow to the infarct-related artery was assessed by coronary angiography.

Optimal Medical Therapy vs. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Patients With Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion - A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Background: Limited data are available on the long-term clinical outcomes of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) patients who receive optimal medical therapy (OMT) compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: Between March 2003 and February 2012, 2,024 patients with CTO were enrolled in a single-center registry. Among this patient group, we excluded CTO patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and classified patients into the OMT group (n=664) or PCI group (n=883) according to initial treatment strategy.

Association of periprocedural myocardial infarction with long-term survival in patients treated with coronary revascularization therapy of chronic total occlusion.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) on long-term survival after coronary revascularization in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Background: Little is known about the clinical impact of PMI on long-term cardiac mortality after CTO revascularization in patients with stable angina.

Methods: We analyzed data from 927 patients with CTO and stable angina who were treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, n = 367) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, n = 560).

Survival After Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Weekends in Comparison With Weekdays.

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) requires urgent decision-making and high-quality skills, which may not be uniformly available throughout the week. Few data exist on the outcomes of patients with cardiac arrest who receive in-hospital ECPR on the weekday versus weekend. Therefore, we investigated whether the outcome differed when patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest received ECPR during the weekend compared with a weekday.

Analysis of Protrusio Acetabuli Using a CT-based Diagnostic Method in Korean Patients with Marfan Syndrome: Prevalence and Association with Other Manifestations.

A new CT-based diagnostic method of protrusio acetabuli (PA) was introduced. However, prevalence of PA by this method and correlation between PA and other manifestations of Marfan syndrome (MFS) is unknown in Korean MFS patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PA diagnosed by a CT-based method in Korean patients with MFS, the association of PA with other manifestations of MFS, and the contribution of PA to MFS diagnosis.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Final Kissing Ballooning in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions Treated With the 1-Stent Technique: Results From the COBIS II Registry (Korean Coronary Bifurcation Stenting Registry).

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of final kissing ballooning (FKB) after main vessel (MV) stenting on outcomes in patients with coronary bifurcation lesions after application of the 1-stent technique.

Background: Although FKB has been established as the standard method for bifurcation lesions treated with a 2-stent strategy, its efficacy in a 1-stent approach is highly controversial.

Methods: This study enrolled 1,901 patients with a bifurcation lesion with a side branch diameter ≥2.

Noninvasive Discrimination of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion and Subtotal Occlusion by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether noninvasive discrimination of chronic total occlusion (CTO), a complete interruption of coronary artery flow, and subtotal occlusion (STO), a functional total occlusion, is feasible using coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Background: CTO and STO may be different in pathophysiology and clinical treatment strategy.

Methods: We included 486 consecutive patients (median age 63 years, 82% male) who showed a total of 553 completely occluded coronary arteries in coronary CTA.

Effect of truncation of the N-terminal region of the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) P protein on viral replication.

The phosphoprotein (P) of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) plays an essential role in viral replication by interconnecting the L protein and the N protein-RNA complex. In this study, to investigate the role of the N-terminal region of the P protein in viral replication, we mutated the first or the first and second or the first, second, and third ATG codon into TGA stop codons. The respective mutants were named P1, P2, and P3.

Comparison of clinical characteristics in patients with Takayasu arteritis with and without concomitant tuberculosis.

Because of frequent tuberculosis in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA), a possible relationship between TA and tuberculosis has been proposed. However, there are no studies to date that have examined clinical manifestations in patients diagnosed with TA with or without tuberculosis. Two hundred sixty-seven patients were diagnosed with TA according to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria between September 1994 and April 2014.

Duration of clopidogrel-based dual antiplatelet therapy and clinical outcomes after endeavor sprint zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) remains controversial in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to compare outcomes after the implantation of zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) between patients with ACS who received clopidogrel-based DAPT for >6months and those treated for ≤6months.

Methods: From a registry of patients treated with ZESs between October 2005 and January 2010, 1740 patients with ACS were selected for the present analysis.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of True and Non-True Bifurcation Lesions According to Medina Classification- Results From the COBIS (COronary BIfurcation Stent) II Registry.

Background: Little is known about the clinical outcomes of patients with different types of coronary bifurcation lesions. We sought to compare long-term clinical outcomes of patients with true or non-true bifurcation lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and results: We compared major adverse cardiac events (MACE: cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI], or target lesion revascularization) between 1,502 patients with true bifurcation lesions (51.

Clinical outcomes of multiple chronic total occlusions in coronary arteries according to three therapeutic strategies: Bypass surgery, percutaneous intervention and medication.

Background: Limited data exist regarding clinical outcomes of multiple chronic total occlusions (CTOs) according to therapeutic strategies, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and medical treatment (MT).

Methods: From March 2003 to February 2012, a total of 2024 patients with at least one CTO were enrolled in retrospective, single-center registry. 393 patients with at least two CTOs were categorized based on the intention-to-treat principle.

Comparison of Clinical and Radiologic Results Between Partial Meniscectomy and Refixation of Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tears: A Minimum 5-Year Follow-up.

Purpose: To compare the clinical and radiologic results of partial meniscectomy with those of refixation in patients with medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) at a minimum 5-year follow-up.

Methods: Between 2005 and 2009, patients with MMPRTs who had been followed up for at least 5 years after a partial meniscectomy (group M, n = 20) or pullout repair (group R, n = 37) were recruited. The mean follow-up duration was 67.

Generation of killed but metabolically active (KBMA) Edwardsiella tarda and evaluation of its potential as a protective vaccine.

A technology for inactivation of pathogens in human blood products by treatment with amotosalen hydrochloride (S-59) in combination with long wavelength ultraviolet light (UVA) to decrease transfusion-mediated sepsis has been applied to make safe vaccines against human pathogenic bacteria, and the resultants were called killed but metabolically active (KBMA) bacteria. In the present study, we first generated KBMA Edwardsiella tarda and evaluated its potential as a protective vaccine in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). To prevent the restoration of division ability by removal of psoralen adducts in the bacterial chromosome through the nucleotide excision repair (NER), the uvrA and uvrB genes knock-out E.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Medical Therapy for Coronary Chronic Total Occlusions in Elderly Patients (≥75 Years).

Background: Limited data are available on the clinical outcomes of medical therapy (MT) compared with revascularization in elderly patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Methods And Results: Between March 2003 and February 2012, we retrospectively analyzed 311 patients aged ≥75 years in the Samsung Medical Center CTO registry. Among these, 153 patients were treated with MT and 158 patients with revascularization by intervention or surgery.

Long-term effects of ischemic postconditioning on clinical outcomes: 1-year follow-up of the POST randomized trial.

Background: In the Effects of Postconditioning on Myocardial Reperfusion in Patients with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (POST) trial, ischemic postconditioning failed to improve myocardial reperfusion. However, long-term effects of ischemic postconditioning on clinical outcomes are not known in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods: A total of 700 patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomly assigned to the postconditioning group or the conventional primary PCI group in a 1:1 ratio.