Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risks of adverse events including stroke and all-cause death. Understanding the pattern of causes of death (COD) with the relative risks in patients with AF compared to the non-AF population is essential in planning optimal care for patients with AF. We aimed to analyze the COD and its relative risks in patients with AF, using a nationwide population-based cohort. Methods: Using the Korean nationwide claims database, people aged 40 or older who received health examinations in 2009 were included if they had no missing values (n = 6,877,929).In total the study included 40,585 people with AF and 6,837,344 without AF. COD was defined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnostic codes. Comparison between the AF and non-AF groups was performed with Multivariate Cox proportional regression model. Results: In the AF group, cardiovascular diseases were the most common COD, causing 39.8% of all deaths, compared with 19.0% for non-AF subjects. The AF group was associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by almost 3-fold than the matched non-AF group (hazard ratios [HR], 3.082; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.963–3.205 for cardiovascular diseases; HR, 2.981; 95% CI, 2.799–3.175 for cerebrovascular diseases, all P < 0.001). Among patients with AF, the risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular death were well-stratified by CHA2DS2 -VASc scores. The risk of cerebrovascular death was 11 times higher among patients with a CHA2DS2 -VASc score ≥ 7. Conclusion Compared to non-AF individuals, patients with AF had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the mortality risks were wellstratified by the CHA2DS2 -VASc score. Integrated care management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for patients with AF might help mitigate mortality.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risks of adverse events including stroke and all-cause death. Understanding the pattern of causes of death (COD) with the relative risks in patients with AF compared to the non-AF population is essential in planning optimal care for patients with AF. We aimed to analyze the COD and its relative risks in patients with AF, using a nationwide population-based cohort. Methods: Using the Korean nationwide claims database, people aged 40 or older who received health examinations in 2009 were included if they had no missing values (n = 6,877,929).In total the study included 40,585 people with AF and 6,837,344 without AF. COD was defined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnostic codes. Comparison between the AF and non-AF groups was performed with Multivariate Cox proportional regression model. Results: In the AF group, cardiovascular diseases were the most common COD, causing 39.8% of all deaths, compared with 19.0% for non-AF subjects. The AF group was associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by almost 3-fold than the matched non-AF group (hazard ratios [HR], 3.082; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.963–3.205 for cardiovascular diseases; HR, 2.981; 95% CI, 2.799–3.175 for cerebrovascular diseases, all P < 0.001). Among patients with AF, the risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular death were well-stratified by CHA2DS2 -VASc scores. The risk of cerebrovascular death was 11 times higher among patients with a CHA2DS2 -VASc score ≥ 7. Conclusion Compared to non-AF individuals, patients with AF had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the mortality risks were wellstratified by the CHA2DS2 -VASc score. Integrated care management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for patients with AF might help mitigate mortality.

Background and Objectives: Arterial dissection during endovascular therapy rarely occurs but can be lethal. A fabric-based covered graft stents yield poor clinical outcomes. A novel balloon-expandable stent with biodegradable film graft for overcoming these issues was evaluated in a rabbit iliac artery model.Method: Eighteen rabbits with iliac artery dissections were induced by balloon over-inflation on angiography (Ellis type 2 or 3) and treated using the test device (3.0×24 mm). Subsequently, survived twelve animals underwent histologic examinations and micro-computed tomography (CT) at 0, 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and angiography at one-year. Results: There were no adverse cardiovascular events during the one-year. Early-stage histologic examination revealed complete sealing of disrupted vessels by the device, exhibiting mural hematoma, peri-stent red thrombi, and dense infiltration of inflammatory cells. Mid- and long-term histologic examination showed patent stents with neointimal hyperplasia over the stents (% area stenosis: 11.8 at 2 weeks, 26.1 at 1 month, 29.7 at 3months, 49.2 at 9 months, and 51.0 at 1 year), along with mild peri-strut inflammatory response (Grade: 1–2 at mid-term and 0–1 at long-term). The graft film became scarcely visible after six months. Both CT and angiography revealed no instances of thrombotic occlusion or in-stent restenosis (% diameter stenosis: 5.7 at 2 weeks, 12.3 at 1 month, 14.2 at 3 months, 25.1 at 9 months, and 26.6 at 1 year). Conclusions The novel balloon-expandable stent with a biodegradable film graft demonstrates feasibility in managing severe artery dissection and preventing lethal vascular events in animal model.

Background and Objectives: Arterial dissection during endovascular therapy rarely occurs but can be lethal. A fabric-based covered graft stents yield poor clinical outcomes. A novel balloon-expandable stent with biodegradable film graft for overcoming these issues was evaluated in a rabbit iliac artery model.Method: Eighteen rabbits with iliac artery dissections were induced by balloon over-inflation on angiography (Ellis type 2 or 3) and treated using the test device (3.0×24 mm). Subsequently, survived twelve animals underwent histologic examinations and micro-computed tomography (CT) at 0, 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and angiography at one-year. Results: There were no adverse cardiovascular events during the one-year. Early-stage histologic examination revealed complete sealing of disrupted vessels by the device, exhibiting mural hematoma, peri-stent red thrombi, and dense infiltration of inflammatory cells. Mid- and long-term histologic examination showed patent stents with neointimal hyperplasia over the stents (% area stenosis: 11.8 at 2 weeks, 26.1 at 1 month, 29.7 at 3months, 49.2 at 9 months, and 51.0 at 1 year), along with mild peri-strut inflammatory response (Grade: 1–2 at mid-term and 0–1 at long-term). The graft film became scarcely visible after six months. Both CT and angiography revealed no instances of thrombotic occlusion or in-stent restenosis (% diameter stenosis: 5.7 at 2 weeks, 12.3 at 1 month, 14.2 at 3 months, 25.1 at 9 months, and 26.6 at 1 year). Conclusions The novel balloon-expandable stent with a biodegradable film graft demonstrates feasibility in managing severe artery dissection and preventing lethal vascular events in animal model.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risks of adverse events including stroke and all-cause death. Understanding the pattern of causes of death (COD) with the relative risks in patients with AF compared to the non-AF population is essential in planning optimal care for patients with AF. We aimed to analyze the COD and its relative risks in patients with AF, using a nationwide population-based cohort. Methods: Using the Korean nationwide claims database, people aged 40 or older who received health examinations in 2009 were included if they had no missing values (n = 6,877,929).In total the study included 40,585 people with AF and 6,837,344 without AF. COD was defined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnostic codes. Comparison between the AF and non-AF groups was performed with Multivariate Cox proportional regression model. Results: In the AF group, cardiovascular diseases were the most common COD, causing 39.8% of all deaths, compared with 19.0% for non-AF subjects. The AF group was associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by almost 3-fold than the matched non-AF group (hazard ratios [HR], 3.082; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.963–3.205 for cardiovascular diseases; HR, 2.981; 95% CI, 2.799–3.175 for cerebrovascular diseases, all P < 0.001). Among patients with AF, the risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular death were well-stratified by CHA2DS2 -VASc scores. The risk of cerebrovascular death was 11 times higher among patients with a CHA2DS2 -VASc score ≥ 7. Conclusion Compared to non-AF individuals, patients with AF had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the mortality risks were wellstratified by the CHA2DS2 -VASc score. Integrated care management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for patients with AF might help mitigate mortality.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risks of adverse events including stroke and all-cause death. Understanding the pattern of causes of death (COD) with the relative risks in patients with AF compared to the non-AF population is essential in planning optimal care for patients with AF. We aimed to analyze the COD and its relative risks in patients with AF, using a nationwide population-based cohort. Methods: Using the Korean nationwide claims database, people aged 40 or older who received health examinations in 2009 were included if they had no missing values (n = 6,877,929).In total the study included 40,585 people with AF and 6,837,344 without AF. COD was defined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnostic codes. Comparison between the AF and non-AF groups was performed with Multivariate Cox proportional regression model. Results: In the AF group, cardiovascular diseases were the most common COD, causing 39.8% of all deaths, compared with 19.0% for non-AF subjects. The AF group was associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by almost 3-fold than the matched non-AF group (hazard ratios [HR], 3.082; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.963–3.205 for cardiovascular diseases; HR, 2.981; 95% CI, 2.799–3.175 for cerebrovascular diseases, all P < 0.001). Among patients with AF, the risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular death were well-stratified by CHA2DS2 -VASc scores. The risk of cerebrovascular death was 11 times higher among patients with a CHA2DS2 -VASc score ≥ 7. Conclusion Compared to non-AF individuals, patients with AF had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the mortality risks were wellstratified by the CHA2DS2 -VASc score. Integrated care management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for patients with AF might help mitigate mortality.

Background and Objectives: Arterial dissection during endovascular therapy rarely occurs but can be lethal. A fabric-based covered graft stents yield poor clinical outcomes. A novel balloon-expandable stent with biodegradable film graft for overcoming these issues was evaluated in a rabbit iliac artery model.Method: Eighteen rabbits with iliac artery dissections were induced by balloon over-inflation on angiography (Ellis type 2 or 3) and treated using the test device (3.0×24 mm). Subsequently, survived twelve animals underwent histologic examinations and micro-computed tomography (CT) at 0, 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and angiography at one-year. Results: There were no adverse cardiovascular events during the one-year. Early-stage histologic examination revealed complete sealing of disrupted vessels by the device, exhibiting mural hematoma, peri-stent red thrombi, and dense infiltration of inflammatory cells. Mid- and long-term histologic examination showed patent stents with neointimal hyperplasia over the stents (% area stenosis: 11.8 at 2 weeks, 26.1 at 1 month, 29.7 at 3months, 49.2 at 9 months, and 51.0 at 1 year), along with mild peri-strut inflammatory response (Grade: 1–2 at mid-term and 0–1 at long-term). The graft film became scarcely visible after six months. Both CT and angiography revealed no instances of thrombotic occlusion or in-stent restenosis (% diameter stenosis: 5.7 at 2 weeks, 12.3 at 1 month, 14.2 at 3 months, 25.1 at 9 months, and 26.6 at 1 year). Conclusions The novel balloon-expandable stent with a biodegradable film graft demonstrates feasibility in managing severe artery dissection and preventing lethal vascular events in animal model.

Background and Objectives: Arterial dissection during endovascular therapy rarely occurs but can be lethal. A fabric-based covered graft stents yield poor clinical outcomes. A novel balloon-expandable stent with biodegradable film graft for overcoming these issues was evaluated in a rabbit iliac artery model.Method: Eighteen rabbits with iliac artery dissections were induced by balloon over-inflation on angiography (Ellis type 2 or 3) and treated using the test device (3.0×24 mm). Subsequently, survived twelve animals underwent histologic examinations and micro-computed tomography (CT) at 0, 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and angiography at one-year. Results: There were no adverse cardiovascular events during the one-year. Early-stage histologic examination revealed complete sealing of disrupted vessels by the device, exhibiting mural hematoma, peri-stent red thrombi, and dense infiltration of inflammatory cells. Mid- and long-term histologic examination showed patent stents with neointimal hyperplasia over the stents (% area stenosis: 11.8 at 2 weeks, 26.1 at 1 month, 29.7 at 3months, 49.2 at 9 months, and 51.0 at 1 year), along with mild peri-strut inflammatory response (Grade: 1–2 at mid-term and 0–1 at long-term). The graft film became scarcely visible after six months. Both CT and angiography revealed no instances of thrombotic occlusion or in-stent restenosis (% diameter stenosis: 5.7 at 2 weeks, 12.3 at 1 month, 14.2 at 3 months, 25.1 at 9 months, and 26.6 at 1 year). Conclusions The novel balloon-expandable stent with a biodegradable film graft demonstrates feasibility in managing severe artery dissection and preventing lethal vascular events in animal model.

BACKGROUND: Current replacement procedures for stenosis or occluded arteries using prosthetic grafts have serious limitations in clinical applications, particularly, endothelialization of the luminal surface is a long-standing unresolved problem.METHOD: We produced a cell-based hybrid vascular graft using a bioink engulfing adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) and a 3D bioprinting process lining the ADSCs on the luminal surface of GORE-Tex grafts. The hybrid graft was implanted as an interposition conduit to replace a 3-cm-long segment of the infrarenal abdominal aorta in Rhesus monkeys. RESULTS: Complete endothelium layer and smooth muscle layer were fully developed within 21 days post-implantation, along with normalized collagen deposition and crosslinking in the regenerated vasculature in all monkeys. The regenerated blood vessels showed normal functionality for the longest observation of more than 1650 days. The same procedure was also conducted in miniature pigs for the interposition replacement of a 10-cm-long right iliac artery and showed the same long-term effective and safe outcome. CONCLUSION This cell-based vascular graft is ready to undergo clinical trials for human patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in the etiological diagnosis and treatment of refractory pneumonia (RTP) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 160 children with RTP who were admitted to the Department of Pediatric Internal Medicine, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, from January 2020 to March 2023. According to whether mNGS was performed, they were divided into two groups: mNGS (n=80) and traditional testing (n=80). All children received the tests of inflammatory markers and pathogen tests after admission. Traditional pathogenicity tests included microbial culture (sputum specimen collected by suction tube), nucleic acid detection of respiratory pathogens, and serological test (mycoplasma, tuberculosis, and fungi). For the mNGS group, BALF specimens were collected after bronchoscopy and were sent to the laboratory for mNGS and microbial culture. The two groups were analyzed and compared in terms of the detection of pathogens and treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the traditional testing group, the mNGS group had a significantly higher detection rate of pathogens (92% vs 58%, P<0.05), with more types of pathogens and a higher diagnostic rate of mixed infections. Compared with the traditional testing group, the mNGS group had a significantly higher treatment response rate and a significantly lower incidence rate of complications during hospitalization (P<0.05). Treatment was adjusted for 68 children in the mNGS group according to the results of mNGS, with a treatment response rate of 96% (65/68) after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS Compared with traditional pathogen tests, BALF mNGS can significantly improve the detection rate of pathogens and find some rare pathogens. In clinical practice, when encountering bottlenecks during the diagnosis and treatment of children with RTP, it is advisable to promptly perform the mNGS to identify the pathogens.
Humans ; Child ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Retrospective Studies ; Pneumonia/therapy* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Bronchoscopy ; Sensitivity and Specificity