Presepsin predicts 1-year all-cause mortality better than N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Presepsin is a sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis and estimation of prognosis in septic patients. The prognostic role of presepsin in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has never been investigated. In 343 patients, presepsin and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were measured before TAVI.

Hemodynamic markers of pulmonary vasculopathy for prediction of early right heart failure and mortality after heart transplantation.

Background: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is broadly accepted as an imminent risk factor for mortality after heart transplantation (HTx). However, no current HTx recipient risk score includes PVR or other hemodynamic parameters. This study examined the utility of various hemodynamic parameters for risk stratification in a contemporary HTx population.

Exercise MR-proANP unmasks latent right heart failure in CTEPH.

Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the dynamics of right atrial pressure (RAP) and mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) during physical exercise in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and to determine whether these parameters might serve as a tool to measure exercise-dependent atrial stress as an indicator of right heart failure.

Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 100 CTEPH patients who underwent right heart catheterization during physical exercise (eRHC). Blood samples for MR-proANP measurement were taken prior, during, and after eRHC.

Controlled-Level EVERolimus in Acute Coronary Syndrome (CLEVER-ACS) - A phase II, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Activation of inflammatory pathways during acute myocardial infarction contributes to infarct size and left ventricular (LV) remodeling. The present prospective randomized clinical trial was designed to test the efficacy and safety of broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory therapy with a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor to reduce infarct size.

Design: Controlled-Level EVERolimus in Acute Coronary Syndrome (CLEVER-ACS, clinicaltrials.

Application and Validation of the Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion/Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure Ratio in Patients with Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

The main aim of this study was to assess the prognostic utility of TAPSE/PASP as an echocardiographic parameter of maladaptive RV remodeling in cardiomyopathy patients using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Furthermore, we sought to compare TAPSE/PASP to TAPSE. The association of the echocardiographic parameters TAPSE/PASP and TAPSE with CMR parameters of RV and LV remodeling was evaluated in 111 patients with ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and cut-off values for maladaptive RV remodeling were defined.

Cardiac biomarkers as indicators of right ventricular dysfunction and recovery in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy - a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging cohort study.

Background: In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure determines outcome. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy allows right heart recovery, which can be monitored by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. This study evaluates whether cardiac biomarkers (NT-proBNP, MR-proANP, sST2, and PAPP-A) are associated with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings prior to and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy.

CMR-derived myocardial strain analysis differentiates ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy-a propensity score-matched study.

Left ventricular (LV) longitudinal, circumferential, and radial motion can be measured using feature tracking of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images. The aim of our study was to detect differences in LV mechanics between patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) who were matched using a propensity score-based model. Between April 2017 and October 2019, 1224 patients were included in our CMR registry, among them 141 with ICM and 77 with DCM.

[Current role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in diagnosis and therapy of myocardial diseases].

Cardiac magnetic resonance is the only imaging modality, that allows for characterising myocardial tissue with respect to fibrosis and edema. It has therefore become gold standard in diagnosing myocardial inflammation by combining scar, fibrosis and edema imaging. Recent developements in T1- and T2 mapping have improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic information.

Association Between Primary Coronary Slow-Flow Phenomenon and Epicardial Fat Tissue.

Background: Primary coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP) is defined as delayed opacification of contrast media in at least 1 coronary vessel in the absence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) during coronary angiography. Epicardial fat tissue (EFT) surrounding coronary vessels provides paracrine effects. Released cytokines diffusing in the vessel wall may induce local inflammatory reactions that potentially result in endothelial dysfunction.

Diagnostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in comparison to endomyocardial biopsy in cardiac amyloidosis: a multi-centre study.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an infiltrative disease characterised by accumulation of amyloid deposits in the extracellular space of the myocardium-comprising transthyretin (ATTR) and light chain (AL) amyloidosis as the most frequent subtypes. Histopathological proof of amyloid deposits by endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the gold standard for diagnosis of CA. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) allows non-invasive workup of suspected CA.

The adipokine fatty-acid binding protein 4 and cardiac remodeling.

Background: Previous publications about the association between fatty-acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and cardiac remodeling have reported different, both beneficial and harmful, associations. Aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the association of FABP4 with parameters of myocardial remodeling defined by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

Methods: We investigated plasma FABP4 levels in 331 patients (71% men, mean age 63±13 years) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 55%) who underwent a CMR examination.

Serum concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) do not indicate tumor recurrence in patients with glioblastoma.

Recent studies identified serum concentrations of the astroglial protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) to be indicative of glioblastoma (GBM) in patients with newly diagnosed space occupying cerebral mass lesions. Until now, no data is available whether GFAP serum concentrations decrease after first therapy and whether GFAP may be used as a predictor of survival and an indicator of tumor recurrence. In this prospective study, we included 44 patients with a single space occupying cerebral mass lesion suspicious for GBM.