Factors associated with recurrence after drug-coated balloon therapy for femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-evaluated tissue morphology on recurrence following drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for the treatment of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis (FP-ISR).

Methods: This study was a single-center, retrospective, observational study. Study subjects were 65 FP-ISR lesions (mean lesion length: 165 ± 88 mm, occlusive restenosis: 25%) in 53 patients (age: 76 ± 8, diabetes mellitus: 66%) who underwent DCB angioplasty and whose IVUS data of tissue morphology were available.

A hospital lipid-lowering protocol improves 2-year clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Although mortality after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has improved in the acute phase, cardiovascular events occur at a certain frequency in the chronic phase. A hospital lipid-lowering protocol (HLP) could be effective in providing optimal lipid-lowering therapy to improve long-term clinical outcomes after ACS.

Aims: This study investigated the impact of HLP on clinical outcomes in patients with ACS.

Impact of Cilostazol Administration on Prevention of Aspiration Pneumonia in Patients With Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Background: Cilostazol has reported effectiveness for preventing aspiration pneumonia in patients with ischemic stroke, but whether it is similarly beneficial for patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is unclear.

Methods And Results: This retrospective single-center study enrolled 1,368 CLTI patients treated with endovascular therapy (EVT). In the multivariate analysis, predictors for aspiration pneumonia were age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.

Vesicles exhibit high-performance removal of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) depending on their hydrophobic groups.

The removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water is urgently needed. Here, we demonstrated high performance of vesicles on PFAS adsorption. Vesicles used in this study were enclosed amphiphile bilayers keeping their hydrophobic groups inside and their hydrophilic groups outside in water.

Intraluminal vs Subintimal Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Chronic Total Occlusions.

Background: Whether intraluminal drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty is superior to subintimal DCB angioplasty regarding femoropopliteal (FP) chronic total occlusion (CTO) outcomes has not been systematically determined.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the 1-year clinical outcomes of intraluminal and subintimal DCB angioplasty for the treatment of patients with symptomatic FP CTO.

Methods: This subanalysis of POPCORN (Prospective Multi-Center Registry of Drug-Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal Disease) evaluated 469 lesions in 469 symptomatic patients with lower extremity artery disease who presented with FP CTO and underwent DCB treatment.

Simple and Objective Evaluation Items for the Prognosis and Mortality of Delirium in Real-World Clinical Practice: A Preliminary Retrospective Study.

Objective: Identifying factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with delirium is important for predicting prognosis. This retrospective study developed an easy and objective cognitive function measurement scale that can predict the prognosis and mortality related to delirium.

Methods: Fifty-five patients aged ≥65 years and diagnosed with delirium were included.

A versatile method to profile hepatitis B virus DNA integration.

Background: HBV DNA integration into the host genome is frequently found in HBV-associated HCC tissues and is associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Multiple detection methods, including hybrid capture-sequencing, have identified integration sites and provided clinical implications; however, each has advantages and disadvantages concerning sensitivity, cost, and throughput. Therefore, methods that can comprehensively and cost-effectively detect integration sites with high sensitivity are required.

Comparing Predictors Influencing Restenosis Following High-Dose Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty and Fluoropolymer-Based Drug-Eluting Stenting in Femoropopliteal Artery Lesions.

Purpose: Despite widespread use of anti-restenosis devices, drug-coated balloons (DCBs) and drug-eluting stents (DESs), their appropriate use for femoropopliteal (FP) lesions has not been well investigated and the risk factors for restenosis have not been compared. To investigate risk factors associated with restenosis after endovascular therapy using DCB and DES for contemporary FP lesions.

Materials And Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study evaluated 378 FP lesions in 273 patients treated with DCB (278 lesions in 193 patients) or DES (120 lesions in 106 patients).

Impact of Procedural Techniques on Midterm Patency of Fluoropolymer-Based Drug-Eluting Stent Placed in the Femoropopliteal Artery.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of compliance with recommended procedural techniques on the midterm patency of a fluoropolymer-based drug-eluting stent (FP-DES) in the femoropopliteal artery.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 200 femoropopliteal lesions (chronic limb-threatening ischemia, 59%; chronic total occlusion, 41%) in 173 patients (male, 66%; diabetes mellitus, 62%; hemodialysis, 40%) with lower extremity arterial disease who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided endovascular therapy with FP-DES between January 2016 and July 2021. The primary outcome measure was restenosis, defined as a peak systolic velocity ratio of >2.

Angiographic patterns of restenosis after drug-coated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions and 1-year prognosis after repeat endovascular therapy.

Aim: The aim of the current study sought to investigate the angiographic patterns of restenosis after drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for femoropopliteal (FP) lesions and which repeat endovascular therapy (EVT) for DCB restenosis would provide more freedom from recurrent restenosis.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included 119 limbs (chronic limb-threatening ischemia [CLTI]: 55%, lesion length: 136.9 ± 89.

Quantitative analysis of antibody aggregates by combination of pinched-flow fractionation and coulter method.

For the pharmaceutical development of proteins, multiple methods of analysis are recommended for evaluating aggregation, and the development of more quantitative and simpler analytical techniques for subvisible particles is expected. This study introduces the Pinched-Flow Fractionation (PFF)-Coulter method, which combines the Pinched-flow fractionation (PFF) and Coulter methods to analyze the concentration of submicron-sized particles. The PFF method separates the particles by size.

Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Cholesterol Crystal Embolism Accompanied by Lower Extremity Wound.

Cholesterol crystal embolism (CCE) accompanied by a lower extremity wound is occasionally difficult to differentiate from chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and treat. The present multi-center retrospective observational study investigated the clinical characteristics and prognosis of CCE with lower extremity wounds. Consecutive patients (n = 58) clinically diagnosed as CCE with lower extremity wounds between April 2010 and December 2019 were studied.

Gender Differences in Atrial Fibrosis and Cardiomyopathy Assessed by Left Atrial Low-Voltage Areas During Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial myocardial degeneration predisposes to atrial fibrillation (AF), ischemic stroke, and heart failure. Studies suggest the presence of gender differences in atrial myocardial degeneration. This study aimed to delineate gender differences in the prevalence, predictors, and prognostic impact of left atrial low-voltage areas (LVAs).

Factors Associated With Early and Late Restenosis Following Drug-Coated Balloon Treatment for Patients With Femoropopliteal Lesions.

Purpose: Clinical trials have demonstrated the superiority of drug-coated balloon (DCB) to noncoated balloon angioplasty for the treatment of femoropopliteal (FP) lesions. In those trials, the difference of primary patency between DCB and noncoated angioplasty widens especially after 6 months, speculating that the antirestenosis effect of paclitaxel is manifested after 6 months. Factors associated with restenosis after 6 months differ from those associated with restenosis within 6 months.

Low atrial natriuretic peptide to brain natriuretic peptide ratio is associated with left atrial remodeling.

Aims: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) deficiency is thought to be one of the causes of heart failure induced by atrial fibrillation (AF). Although ANP deficiency is thought to occur as a result of atrial remodeling, data to explain this mechanism are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between ANP and left atrial remodeling or prognosis of heart failure in patients with AF ablation.

Angioscopic Evaluation of Vascular Response After Fluoropolymer-Based Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation for Femoropopliteal Artery Lesions.

Background: Although favorable clinical outcomes have been demonstrated for fluoropolymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stents (FP-DES) in the treatment of femoropopliteal lesions, the vascular response after implantation has not been systematically studied through intravascular imaging.

Methods and results: We angioscopically compared FP-DES: 24 in the early phase (mean [±SD] 3±1 months), 26 in the middle phase (12±3 months), and 20 in the late phase (≥18 months) after implantation. The dominant neointimal coverage grade, heterogeneity of neointimal coverage grade, and thrombus adhesion in the stent segment were evaluated.

Factors in Sufficient Endovascular Vessel Preparation for Severely Calcified Femoropopliteal Lesions.

Background: Vessel preparation for endovascular treatment (EVT) is important but because the contributory factors for favorable outcomes are not yet known, we conducted the present study to elucidate the factors associated with sufficient vessel preparation for severely calcified femoropopliteal (FP) lesions.

Methods and results: This was a single-center retrospective observational study of 97 patients (mean age, 75±8 years, 76% male) with 106 de novo severely calcified FP lesions who underwent EVT under intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) evaluation. The lesion definition was 360° of superficial calcification on IVUS.