Takeshi Tsutsumi

Usefulness of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 as a biomarker of acute severe heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Placental growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor increase angiogenesis and promote healing after acute myocardial infarction (MI), but the significance of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), an antagonist of placental growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, in the setting of acute MI has not been elucidated. The development of acute heart failure in the immediate period after MI is a dreaded complication, but there are no useful biomarkers that identify patients at risk of acute heart failure. We wished to investigate the clinical significance of circulating sFlt-1 during acute MI. We enrolled 174 patients with acute MI, and arterial blood sampling was performed. Plasma levels of sFlt-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and their relation to clinical parameters was analyzed. Circulating levels of sFlt-1 on admission were significantly increased in patients with acute MI compared to controls (528.1 +/- 290.9 vs 355.7 +/- 205.0 pg/ml, p <0.001). Circulating levels of sFlt-1 on admission were significantly higher in patients who developed severe acute heart failure requiring mechanical circulatory support devices compared to those with stable hemodynamics (611.4 +/- 373.6 vs 494.6 +/- 243.9 pg/ml, p = 0.016). Moreover, circulating levels of sFlt-1 on admission were directly related to duration of hospitalization. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that hemodynamic instability was predicted by sFlt-1 on admission and left ventricular systolic pressure. In conclusion, the circulating level of sFlt-1 is increased in patients with acute MI, and the sFlt-1 level on admission is a promising biomarker for the development of severe acute heart failure after MI.

A pediatric case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with mid-ventricular obstruction incidentally detected by electrocardiography

A 13-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital because mitral P wave and ST depression in leads II, III, aVF, and V3-6 were incidentally detected on electrocardiography at a school health examination. Although she had noted no cardiac symptoms during club volley ball games, the treadmill exercise test induced chest discomfort in the absence of obvious electrocardiographic changes. B-type natriuretic peptide was elevated at 685xa0pg/ml. Echocardiography revealed left mid-ventricular hypertrophy and obstruction, sparing of the apical ventricle at end-systole, and severe left atrial dilatation. Continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography clarified a peak pressure gradient of about 40xa0mmHg between the apical and basal sites of the left ventricle. Swan-Ganz catheterization suggested elevated atrial pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Left ventriculography showed an hourglass appearance. Endomyocardial biopsy revealed cardiac muscle cell disarray. We diagnosed a rare pediatric case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with mid-ventricular obstruction. This case reconfirms that electrocardiography during school health examinations is a very important screening tool for the detection of asymptomatic or mild symptomatic cardiac diseases.