Mamoru Sakakibara

Hyponatremia is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients due to worsening heart failure

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hyponatremia is common and is associated with poor in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). However, it is unknown whether hyponatremia is associated with long-term adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics, clinical status on admission, and management during hospitalization according to the serum sodium concentration on admission, and determine whether hyponatremia was associated with in-hospital as well as long-term outcomes in 1677 patients hospitalized with worsening HF on index hospitalization registered in the database of the Japanese Cardiac Registry of Heart Failure in Cardiology (JCARE-CARD). METHODS AND SUBJECTS We studied the characteristics and in-hospital treatment in 1659 patients hospitalized with worsening HF by using the JCARE-CARD database. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to serum sodium concentration on admission <135mEq/mL (n=176; 10.6%) or ≥135mEq/mL (n=1483; 89.4%). RESULTS The mean age was 70.7 years and 59.2% were male. Etiology was ischemic in 33.9% and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 42.4%. After adjustment for covariates, hyponatremia was independently associated with in-hospital death [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.453, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.265-4.755, p=0.008]. It was significantly associated also with adverse long-term (mean 2.1±0.8 years) outcomes including all-cause death (OR 1.952, 95% CI 1.433-2.657), cardiac death (OR 2.053, 95% CI 1.413-2.983), and rehospitalization due to worsening HF (OR 1.488, 95% CI 1.134-1.953). CONCLUSIONS Hyponatremia was independently associated with not only in-hospital but also long-term adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with worsening HF.

Left ventricular global strain for estimating relaxation and filling pressure: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE)-derived parameters may have better correlation with left ventricular (LV) relaxation and filling pressure than tissue Doppler-derived parameters. However, it has not been elucidated which parameter - strain or strain rate - and which direction of myocardial deformation - longitudinal or circumferential - is the most useful marker of LV relaxation and filling pressure. METHODSANDRESULTS We conducted a prospective multicenter study and compared the correlation of tissue Doppler- and STE-derived parameters with the time constant of LV pressure decay (τ) and LV mean diastolic pressure (MDP) in 77 patients. The correlation of early-diastolic mitral annular velocity (e´) with τ was weak (r=-0.32, P<0.01), and that of peak longitudinal strain (LS) was the strongest (r=-0.45, P<0.001) among the STE-derived parameters. There was a modest correlation between LVMDP and the ratio of early-diastolic inflow velocity (E) to e´ (E/e´) (r=0.50, P<0.001). In contrast, the ratio of E to LS (E/LS) correlated strongly with LVMDP (r=0.70, P<0.001). The correlation of E/LS with LVMDP was significantly better than that for E/e´ (P<0.01). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed that E/LS had the largest area under the curve for distinguishing elevated LVMDP (E/LS 0.86, E/e´ 0.74, E/A 0.67). CONCLUSIONS STE-derived longitudinal parameters correlated well with LV relaxation and filling pressure. In particular, E/LS could be more accurate than E/e´ for estimating LV filling pressure. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1163-1170).

Proteinuria and Reduced Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Are Independent Risk Factors for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Cardiac Catheterization

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) according to renal function in patients with or without proteinuria after cardiac catheterization in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a multicenter prospective observational study involving 27 hospitals from all over Japan, which enrolled 906 patients with cardiac catheterization. CIN was defined as increase in serum creatinine ≥0.5 mg/dl or ≥25% from baseline between 48 and 72 h after exposure to contrast. The incidence of CIN in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <30 ml/min/1.73 m2was significantly higher than that in patients with eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2. In patients without proteinuria, the incidence of CIN did not increase as eGFR decreased, but such a trend was observed in patients with proteinuria. Proteinuria was highly significantly associated with CIN in patients with eGFR 30-44 ml/min/1.73 m2(OR, 12.1; 95% CI: 2.81-82.8; P=0.0006) and eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m2(OR, 17.4; 95% CI: 3.32-321; P=0.0001). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, proteinuria (OR, 4.09; 95% CI: 1.66-10.0), eGFR (OR, 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00-1.04), contrast volume/eGFR (OR, 1.31; 95% CI: 1.04-1.65), and Ca antagonist use (OR, 3.79; 95% CI: 1.52-10.8) were significant predictors of CIN. CONCLUSIONS Proteinuria and reduced eGFR are independent risk factors for CIN after cardiac catheterization.

Adaptive Servo-Ventilation Has More Favorable Acute Effects on Hemodynamics Than Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Patients With Heart Failure

Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) has been attracting attention as a novel respiratory support therapy for heart failure (HF). However, the acute hemodynamic effects have not been compared between ASV and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in HF patients.We studied 12 consecutive patients with stable chronic HF. Hemodynamic measurement was performed by right heart catheterization before and after CPAP 5 cmH2O, CPAP 10 cmH2O, and ASV for 15 minutes each.Heart rate, blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and stroke volume index (SVI) were not changed by any intervention. Right atrial pressure significantly increased after CPAP 10 cmH2O (3.6 ± 3.3 to 6.7 ± 1.6 mmHg, P = 0.005) and ASV (4.1 ± 2.6 to 6.8 ± 1.5 mmHg, P = 0.026). Cardiac index was significantly decreased by CPAP 10 cmH2O (2.3 ± 0.4 to 1.9 ± 0.3 L/minute/m(2), P = 0.048), but was not changed by ASV (2.3 ± 0.4 to 2.0 ± 0.3 L/ minute/m(2), P = 0.299). There was a significant positive correlation between baseline PCWP and % of baseline SVI by CPAP 10 cmH2O (r = 0.705, P < 0.001) and ASV (r = 0.750, P < 0.001). ASV and CPAP 10 cmH2O had significantly greater slopes of this correlation than CPAP 5 cmH2O, suggesting that patients with higher PCWP had a greater increase in SVI by ASV and CPAP 10 cmH2O. The relationship between baseline PCWP and % of baseline SVI by ASV was shifted upwards compared to CPAP 10 cmH2O. Furthermore, based on the results of a questionnaire, patients accepted CPAP 5 cmH2O and ASV more favorably compared to CPAP 10 cmH2O.ASV had more beneficial effects on acute hemodynamics and acceptance than CPAP in HF patients.

Critical takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicated by ventricular septal perforation.

An 81-year-old woman was admitted with chest pain. An electrocardiogram demonstrated ST segment elevation in leads II, III and aVF, and echocardiography revealed left ventricular apical asynergy with a left-to-right ventricular shunt. Meanwhile, emergent coronary angiography showed no significant coronary artery stenosis, whereas left ventriculography indicated apical ballooning and a left-to-right ventricular shunt. We therefore diagnosed the patient with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicated by ventricular septal perforation and cardiogenic shock. An electrocardiogram disclosed a prolonged QT interval over time, and the patient became hemodynamically stable under treatment with inotropes; however, she suddenly developed fatal ventricular fibrillation three days after hospitalization. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy complicated by ventricular septal perforation is a critical condition that requires careful monitoring.

Association of contrast-induced nephropathy with risk of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with cardiac catheterization: From the CINC-J study

BACKGROUND The association between the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and subsequent clinical outcomes is unclear in Japan. We evaluated the association between CIN and cardiovascular and renal events after cardiac catheterization. METHODS The CINC-J multicenter prospective cohort study examined 853 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization from 27 hospitals. CIN was defined as increase in serum creatinine (SCr)≥0.5mg/dL or ≥25% from baseline between 48 and 72h after exposure to contrast. Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) included all-cause deaths, non-fatal myocardial infarction, acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), and stroke. Renal events included newly-required hemodialysis and increase of SCr≥2× from baseline. RESULTS During follow-up periods (477±214days), CIN, MACCE, and renal events occurred in 44 (5.2%), 71 (8.3%), and 26 (3.0%) patients, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that CIN yielded increasing risk for MACCE, ADHF, newly-required hemodialysis, and renal events. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, age (HR: 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.07; P=0.0425), anemia (HR: 1.94; 95% CI, 1.08-3.61; P=0.0264), and diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.86; 95% CI, 1.10-3.21; P=0.0119) were independent predictors of MACCE, whereas CIN (HR: 7.78; 95% CI, 3.23-17.9; P=0.0005) and SCr (HR: 2.09; 95% CI, 1.56-2.73; P=0.0006) were independent predictors of renal events. Compared to subjects without both anemia and CIN as the reference, those with both were high risk for MACCE (HR: 3.97; 95% CI, 1.25-10.6; P=0.0218). CONCLUSION CIN was a significant predictor of subsequent renal events after cardiac catheterization. CIN and anemia were associated with increased risk for worse long-term clinical outcome, especially when both were present.

Value of Virtual Touch Quantification Elastography for Assessing Liver Congestion in Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) causes organ congestion, which is thought to increase organ stiffness. The virtual touch quantification (VTQ) method can be used to assess liver stiffness in patients with chronic liver diseases. This study aimed to measure liver and kidney stiffness using VTQ and to determine its value for assessing organ congestion in patients with HF. METHODSANDRESULTS This study included 10 normal subjects and 38 HF patients (age 52.3±16.7 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 27.0±9.4%, plasma B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP] 1,297.3±1,155.1 pg/ml). We investigated the relationships between clinical characteristics and hemodynamics and liver and kidney stiffness, and assessed the effects of medical treatment on these measurements. Liver stiffness was significantly higher in HF patients (1.17±0.13 m/s vs. 2.03±0.91 m/s, P=0.004) compared with normal subjects, but kidney stiffness was similar in both groups. Central venous pressure (CVP) (P=0.021) and BNP (P=0.025) were independent predictive factors for increased liver stiffness in HF patients. Liver stiffness decreased significantly from 2.37±1.09 to 1.27±0.33 m/s (P<0.001) after treatment. Changes in liver stiffness in HF patients significantly correlated with changes in CVP (R=0.636, P=0.014) and cardiac index (R=-0.557, P=0.039) according to univariate analysis, and with changes in CVP in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Liver stiffness measured by noninvasive VTQ methods can be used to assess liver congestion and therapeutic effects in patients with HF. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1187-1195).

Cardiac fibroma with high 18F-FDG uptake mimicking malignant tumor.

We here present a case of cardiac fibroma mimicking a malignant tumor due to the Ffluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) high accumulation. A 23year-old woman was found asymptomatic bradycardia by a health checkup. Echocardiography detected the wall thickening in the basal septal portion of the left ventricle (LV) (supplementary movies). As cardiac tumor was suspected, further evaluations including FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. To suppress physiological myocardial uptake, this patient fasted for 18 h with unfractionated heparin (50 IU kg) i.v. injected 15 minutes prior to FDG administration. FDG PET/CT showed focal tracer accumulation in the entire mass (Figure 1A, B). Cardiac MRI showed iso-intense on T1weighed image (T1WI) (Figure 1C), hypo-intense on T2-weighed image (T2WI) (Figure 1D), and hyper-intense on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (Figure 1E) in the mass. Endo-myocardial biopsy pathologically revealed a benign intracardiac fibroma (Figure 2). Cardiac fibroma is a benign connective tissue tumor derived from fibroblasts. It occurs predominantly in infants and young children, typically found as a large tumor, more frequently in the anterior or septal LV wall. The MRI findings could clarify the tissue characteristics of a wellcircumscribed tumor with low iso-intense on T1WI, low intense on T2WI because of their dense, fibrous nature, and hyper-intense on LGE that reflects the characterization of a great extracellular space, which was consisted of fibroblasts interspersed among large amounts of collagen, for gadolinium accumulation. It remained unclear why the fibroma indicated high FDG accumulation in this case. However, there was a case report of nonossifying fibroma that showed high FDG accumulation similarly to our study. FDG PET/CT is a powerful tool to differentiate the malignant cardiac lesion from benign ones. However, this case suggests that even the focal increased FDG uptake was detected in the mass, the specific MRI findings could lead to the correct diagnosis of the cardiac fibroma. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12350-015-0362-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Reprint requests: Osamu Manabe, MD, PhD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-Ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan; osamumanabe817@ med.hokudai.ac.jp J Nucl Cardiol 2017:24;323–4. 1071-3581/

Successful termination of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias by adaptive servo-ventilation in a patient with heart failure

34.00 Copyright 2015 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

Immunohistochemical identification of Propionibacterium acnes in granuloma and inflammatory cells of myocardial tissues obtained from cardiac sarcoidosis patients

A 60-year-old woman who underwent operation due to severe aortic stenosis with left ventricular dysfunction had frequent nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) at night. She had an increased apnea-hypopnea index and a reduction in minimum O2 saturation during sleep, which was closely associated with the frequency of NSVT. Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy improved sleep disorder breathing (SDB) and also reduced ventricular arrhythmias. These effects were associated with the attenuation of the sympathetic nerve activities by the analysis of heart rate variability. ASV is expected to be effective in the treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with heart failure and SDB.