Publications by authors named "Won- Keun Kim"

This study reports the identification of Langya virus Korea (LayV KOR) during the surveillance of shrews in the Republic of Korea. LayV KOR represents the first identification of LayV outside of China, exhibiting approximately 80% and 95.5% homologies at nucleotide and amino acid levels.

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Background: Prosthesis-patient mismatch after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be measured echocardiographically (measured prosthesis-patient mismatch [PPMm]) or predicted (predicted prosthesis-patient mismatch [PPMp]) using published effective orifice area (EOA) reference values. However, the clinical implications of PPM post-TAVR remain unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence of PPMm and PPMp post-TAVR and their impact on mortality in a large international cohort.

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  • The LANDMARK trial compared the balloon-expandable Myval transcatheter heart valve (THV) series to the SAPIEN and Evolut THV series in 768 patients to evaluate safety and effectiveness.
  • Results showed that Myval achieved non-inferiority to SAPIEN (24.7% vs 24.1%) and Evolut (24.7% vs 30.0%) regarding a primary composite safety endpoint.
  • Additionally, while Myval had better pressure gradient metrics compared to SAPIEN, Evolut showed slightly higher rates of prosthetic valve regurgitation compared to Myval but no significant difference between Myval and SAPIEN.
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  • Orthohantavirus hantanense is a significant public health threat in Eurasia, causing hemorrhagic fever; while the primary causing agent in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is the Hantaan virus, the Amur virus (AMRV) may also be transmitted to humans from rodents in China and Russia.
  • A study of rodents in Gangwon Province from 2015 to 2018 found that 16.1% tested positive for the Soochong virus (SOOV), with complete genomic sequencing revealing five novel whole-genome sequences, highlighting particular regions in Hongcheon-gun and Pyeongchang-gun.
  • Phylogenetic analysis showed distinct evolutionary patterns between
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Background: The ACURATE neo2 is a contemporary transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system approved for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in Europe. The ACURATE neo2 has not been evaluated in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.

Aims: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ACURATE neo2 in patients with BAV stenosis.

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Background: Mid-term comparative data for the self-expanding ACURATE neo2 transcatheter heart valve and the balloon-expandable SAPIEN 3 Ultra are lacking.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare 1-year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement of these 2 valves.

Methods: A total of 2,106 patients from 3 centers (neo2, n = 1,166; Ultra, n = 940) undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement were analyzed retrospectively.

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  • Balloon-expandable valves (BEVs) and self-expanding valves (SEVs) are compared for their effects on patients with Sievers type 1 bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
  • The analysis, based on a registry of 955 patients, found no significant difference in midterm major adverse events or technical success between BEVs and SEVs after adjusting for baseline differences.
  • However, BEVs had lower risks of new permanent pacemaker implantation and moderate or greater paravalvular regurgitation, but a higher risk of severe patient-prosthesis mismatch compared to SEVs.
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Introduction And Objectives: It is unknown whether aortic valve calcium volume, as measured by contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (angio-CT), is associated with mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aimed to confirm that contrast-enhanced aortic valve calcium correlates with noncontrast-enhanced calcium score and provides useful prognostic information in patients undergoing TAVI.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients from 2 high-volume TAVI centers in Germany, all of whom underwent high-quality angio-CT prior to TAVI.

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Background: Risk prediction in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains an unsolved issue. In addition to classical risk scoring systems, novel circulating biomarkers like mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) may be of value in assessing risk.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing elective transfemoral TAVI were included in this prospective observational study.

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Background: The discovery of viruses in small mammalian populations, particularly rodents, has expanded the family Paramyxoviridae. The overlap in habitats between rodents and humans increases the risk of zoonotic events, underscoring the importance of active surveillance. Rodent species, such as Apodemus agrarius, are natural hosts for Paramyxoviridae in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

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  • The study examines the characteristics and outcomes of patients with tapered raphe-type bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) when undergoing trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), focusing on the safety and effectiveness of modern heart valves.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 897 patients, finding that those with tapered configurations showed similar success rates and safety between two sizing strategies: annular and supra-annular.
  • The results indicate that TAVR is a safe and effective procedure for these patients, regardless of the sizing method used, maintaining a high rate of clinical efficacy at mid-term follow-up.
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  • Precise implantation depth is crucial for the success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but the effects of incorrect depths on the ACURATE NEO2 prosthesis hadn't been previously studied.
  • A study of 1,839 patients evaluated outcomes based on three implantation depth categories: high (<3 mm), optimal (3-7 mm), and low (>7 mm), finding no significant differences in technical success or paravalvular regurgitation rates.
  • While higher implantation showed better hemodynamics, it also had a higher risk of embolization; low implantation led to more pacemaker needs, suggesting it's better to avoid high placements to minimize risks.
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  • Coronary access (CA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be more difficult after valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (ViV-TAVR), especially with certain valve designs.* -
  • A study found that the ACURATE neo2 valve led to significantly better success rates for both CA (96.7%) and PCI (98.3%) compared to the Evolut PRO+ valve (75% and 85%, respectively).* -
  • The design differences between the valves affected procedural approaches, with ACURATE neo2 allowing for easier access due to a greater valve-to-anatomy distance.*
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: To date, data regarding the characteristics and management of obstructive, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) encountered in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are sparse. The aim of the study was to analyze granular details, treatment, and outcomes of patients undergoing TAVI with obstructive, stable CAD from real-world practice. : REVASC-TAVI (Management of myocardial REVASCularization in patients undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation with coronary artery disease) is an investigator-initiated, multicenter registry, which collected data from patients undergoing TAVI with obstructive stable CAD found during the pre-TAVI work-up.

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The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the initial experience in Germany with the Meril Myval™ (MM) transcatheter heart valve (THV) system for the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. The MM THV is a novel balloon-expandable valve with an expanded sizing matrix. Contemporary patients undergoing TAVI with the established Edwards Sapien™ (ES) THV served as the comparator group.

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Background: Coronary access (CA) is a major concern in redo-transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for failing supra-annular self-expanding transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs).

Aims: This ex vivo study evaluated the benefit of leaflet splitting (LS) on subsequent CA after redo-TAVI in anatomies deemed at high risk of unfeasible CA.

Methods: Ex vivo, patient-specific models were printed three-dimensionally.

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Background: Challenging anatomies and comorbidities have impact on success in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). There is controversy whether the extent of the aortic angle (AA) has an impact on procedural outcomes. Matched comparative outcome data of new generation transcatheter heart valves (THVs) in horizontal aorta (HA) are scarce.

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Inferior outcomes with ACURATE neo, a self-expanding transcatheter heart valve (THV) for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis, were mainly driven by higher rates of moderate/severe paravalvular leak (PVL). To overcome this limitation, the next-generation ACURATE neo2 features a 60% larger external sealing skirt. Data on long-term performance are limited; however, clinical evidence suggests improved short-term performance which is comparable to contemporary THVs.

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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an established, guideline-endorsed treatment for severe aortic stenosis. Precise sizing of the balloon-expandable Myval transcatheter heart valve (THV) series with the aortic annulus is facilitated by increasing its diameter in 1·5 mm increments, compared with the usual 3 mm increments in valve size. The LANDMARK trial aimed to show non-inferiority of the Myval THV series compared with the contemporary THVs Sapien Series (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) or Evolut Series (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA).

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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is increasingly being used to treat severe aortic stenosis in younger patients. Accordingly, lifetime management regarding future reintervention and coronary access is a concern.

Aims: To assess the impact of commissural alignment on ACURATE neo2 transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) performance.

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Background: Primary coronary slow flow (CSF) is defined as delayed opacification of the distal epicardial vasculature during coronary angiography in the absence of relevant coronary artery stenoses. Microvascular disease is thought to be the underlying cause of this pathology. Epicardial fat tissue (EFT) is an active endocrine organ directly surrounding the coronary arteries that provides pro-inflammatory factors to the adjacent tissue by paracrine and vasocrine mechanisms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis can lead to complications like paravalvular regurgitation (PVR), which is the leakage of blood around the valve.
  • A study involving 946 patients aimed to understand how often PVR occurs after TAVR, what factors predict it, and its impact on patient outcomes, finding that 44.7% experienced some level of PVR.
  • Moderate or severe PVR was linked to higher risks of major adverse events (MAEs) like death or hospitalization, highlighting the importance of careful monitoring and management in these patients.
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