Objective: To compare the differences between CAS risk model and CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score in predicting all cause death, thromboembolic events, major bleeding events and composite endpoint in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. From the China Atrial Fibrillation Registry cohort study, the patients with atrial fibrillation who were>18 years old were randomly divided into CAS risk score group and CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score group respectively. According to the anticoagulant status at baseline and follow-up, patients in the 2 groups who complied with the scoring specifications for anticoagulation were selected for inclusion in this study. Baseline information such as age and gender in the two groups were collected and compared. Follow-up was performed periodically to collect information on anticoagulant therapy and endpoints. The endpoints were all-cause death, thromboembolism events and major bleeding, the composite endpoint events were all-cause death and thromboembolism events. The incidence of endpoints in CAS group and CHA₂DS₂-VASc group was analyzed, and multivariate Cox proportional risk model was used to analyze whether the incidence of the endpoints was statistically different between the two groups. Results: A total of 5 206 patients with AF were enrolled, average aged (63.6±12.2) years, and 2092 (40.2%) women. There were 2 447 cases (47.0%) in CAS risk score group and 2 759 cases (53.0%) in CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score group. In the clinical baseline data of the two groups, the proportion of left ventricular ejection fraction<55%, non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, oral warfarin and HAS BLED score in the CAS group were lower than those in the CHA₂DS₂-VASc group, while the proportion of previous diabetes history and history of antiplatelet drugs in the CAS group was higher than that in the CHA₂DS₂-VASc group, and there was no statistical difference in other baseline data. Patients were followed up for (82.8±40.8) months. In CAS risk score group, 225(9.2%) had all-cause death, 186 (7.6%) had thromboembolic events, 81(3.3%) had major bleeding, and 368 (15.0%) had composite endpoint. In CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score group, 261(9.5%) had all-cause death 209(7.6%) had thromboembolic events, 112(4.1%) had major bleeding, and 424 (15.4%) had composite endpoint. There were no significant differences in the occurrence of all-cause death, thromboembolic events, major bleeding and composite endpoint between anticoagulation in CAS risk score group and anticoagulation in CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score group (log-rank P =0.643, 0.904, 0.126, 0.599, respectively). Compared with CAS risk score, multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models showed no significant differences for all-cause death, thromboembolic events, major bleeding and composite endpoint between the two groups with HR(95%CI) 0.95(0.80-1.14), 1.00(0.82-1.22), 0.83(0.62-1.10), 0.96(0.84-1.11), respectively. All P>0.05. Conclusions: There were no significant differences between CAS risk model and CHA₂DS₂-VASc risk score in predicting all-cause death, thromboembolic events, and major bleeding events in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
Adolescent ; Anticoagulants ; Atrial Fibrillation/drug therapy* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hemorrhage/complications* ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Stroke/epidemiology* ; Stroke Volume ; Thromboembolism/etiology* ; Ventricular Function, Left

Humans ; Mutation ; NAV1.5 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel/genetics*

Acute Kidney Injury ; epidemiology ; Biomedical Research ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo analyze retrospectively the therapeutic efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).

METHODSThe engraftment, graft versus host disease (GVHD), infection, relapse, and survival of 13 CMML patients received allo-HSCT were observed. The clinical outcome of allo-HSCT for CMML was analyzed.

RESULTSThirteen (10 males and 3 females) CMML patients with a median age of 38 years old received allo-HSCT including 4 from HLA-matched unrelated donors, 6 from HLA-matched sibling donors and 3 from haploidentical related donors. All 13 patients achieved engraftment, and the median time of neutrophil engraftment and platelet engraftment were 12 (11-18) days and 15 (10-55) days respectively, acute GVHD occurred in 8 patients. After the median follow-up of 13 (6-29) months, the overall survival, disease free survival and relapse were 53.8%, 53.8%, 7.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONAllo-HSCT can improve the survival of patients with CMML, and is a effective method for treatment of CMML.

Adult ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Siblings ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous

BACKGROUNDCatheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated to be effective in a subsets of patients with AF. However, very few data are available in regard to patients with prior history of stroke undergoing catheter ablation. This study aimed to investigate the outcome of catheter ablation in AF patients with prior ischemic stroke.

METHODSBetween January 2008 and December 2011, of 1897 consecutive patients who presented at Beijing An Zhen Hospital for treatment of drug-refractory AF, 172 (9.1%) patients in the study population had a history of ischemic stroke. All patients underwent catheter ablation and were followed up to assess maintenance of sinus rhythm and recurrence of symptomatic stroke.

RESULTSAmong these 1897 patients, 1768 (93.2%) who had complete follow-up information for a minimum of six months were included in the final analysis. Patients in the stroke group (group I) and the no-stroke group (group II) were similar in regards to gender, body mass index (BMI), history of diabetes, type of AF, and left atrial size. The patients in group I were older than those in group II, and had a higher incidence of hypertension, chronic heart failure, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and higher CHADS2 scores. Six months after ablation, 107 (68.6%) patients in group I and 1403 (87.1%) in group II had discontinued warfarin treatment (P < 0.001). During a median follow-up of (633 ± 415) days, 65 patients in the group I and 638 in group II experienced AF recurrence, and five patients in group I and 28 in group II developed symptomatic stroke. The rates of AF recurrence and recurrent stroke were similar between group I and group II (41.7% vs. 39.6%, P = 0.611; 3.2% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.219; respectively).

CONCLUSIONCatheter ablation of AF in patients with prior stroke is feasible and efficient.

Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke ; surgery

BACKGROUNDIntegrin-linked kinase (ILK) dysregulation is involved in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), irbesartan, on ILK expression and podocyte injury in DN.

METHODSDN was induced by the combined feeding of high-sucrose, high-fat diet and intra-peritoneal injection of low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Diabetic rats were treated with irbesartan (50 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)) by gavage for 8 weeks. The renal morphologic changes and podocyte injury were investigated by light and electron microscopy, and the ILK expression was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis.

RESULTSDiabetic rats exhibited with the similar clinical feature of type 2 DN. Morphologically, they were characterized by expansion of mesangial matrix, loss of podocyte and podocyte injury. Impressively, compared to controls, the ILK expression in diabetic rats were upregulated, which were positively correlated with both podocyte injury and albuminuria. Irbesartan significantly prevented ILK overexpression, along with the amelioration of podocyte injury and albuminuria.

CONCLUSIONSILK plays an important role in mediating podocyte injury in DN; irbesartan inhibits ILK upregulation and attenuates podocyte injury, which might offer a new insight into the role of ARB in preventing DN progression.

Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Male ; Podocytes ; drug effects ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDHATCH score is an established predictor of progression from paroxysmal to persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to determine if HATCH score could predict recurrence after catheter ablation of AF.

METHODSThe data of 488 consecutive paroxysmal AF patients who underwent an index circumferential pulmonary veins (PV) ablation were retrospectively analyzed. Of these patients, 250 (51.2%) patients had HATCH score = 0, 185 (37.9%) patients had HATCH score = 1, and 53 (10.9%) patients had HATCH score ≥ 2 (28 patients had HATCH score = 2, 23 patients had HATCH score = 3, and 2 patients had HATCH score = 4).

RESULTSThe patients with HATCH score ≥ 2 had significantly larger left atrium size, the largest left ventricular end systolic diameter, and the lowest ejection fraction. After a mean follow-up of (823 ± 532) days, the recurrence rates were 36.4%, 37.8% and 28.3% from the HATCH score = 0, HATCH score = 1 to HATCH score ≥ 2 categories (P = 0.498). Univariate analysis revealed that left atrium size, body mass index, and failure of PV isolation were predictors of AF recurrence. After adjustment for body mass index, left atrial size and PV isolation, the HATCH score was not an independent predictor of recurrence (HR = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = 0.76 - 1.12, P = 0.406) in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONHATCH score has no value in prediction of AF recurrence after catheter ablation.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; therapy ; Body Mass Index ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Electrophysiology ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDThe optimal endpoint for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) remains ambiguous. This study investigated the impact of AF termination as a procedural endpoint and the termination mode on long-term clinical outcome.

METHODSTwo hundred and ninety-three patients who underwent stepwise ablation for persistent AF were categorized into the AF termination by ablation group and into the electrical cardioversion (CV) group. Subgroups were also analyzed based on different termination modes. Follow-up assessment included early recurrence and sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance.

RESULTSDuring initial ablation, 33 patients (11.3%) were directly converted to SR, 166 patients (56.7%) were converted to atrial tachycardia (AT) that subsequently restored SR with further ablation in 98 patients (33.4%), and a total of 162 patients (55.3%) underwent cardioversion due to persistent atrial arrhythmias. Comparison between termination by ablation and termination by cardioversion in patients exhibiting AF or AT revealed that no significant difference was observed in early recurrence (38.2% vs. 43.8%, P = 0.328) and SR maintenance (67.2% vs. 59.8%, P = 0.198) during the (23 ± 7) months follow-up. Even after repeat ablation, the SR maintenance continued to exhibit no statistical difference in above two groups (72.5% vs. 70.4%, P = 0.686). Further analysis of subgroups, however, demonstrated that patients with AF terminated directly to SR experienced better clinical outcomes than other subgroups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, atrial arrhythmias present during ablation have been implicated in prediction of recurrence mode: AF or AT (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTermination as a procedural endpoint is not associated with favorable long-term SR maintenance in persistent AF. AF methods that convert arrhythmia directly to SR have, however, been linked with improved clinical outcomes, although conversions to AT may not be correlated. Atrial arrhythmias observed during the ablation may be used to predict the recurrence mode.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Background The optimal endpoint for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) remains ambiguous.This study investigated the impact of AF termination as a procedural endpoint and the termination mode on long-term clinical outcome.Methods Two hundred and ninety-three patients who underwent stepwise ablation for persistent AF were categorized into the AF termination by ablation group and into the electrical cardioversion (CV) group.Subgroups were also analyzed based on different termination modes.Follow-up assessment included early recurrence and sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance.Results During initial ablation,33 patients (11.3％) were directly converted to SR,166 patients (56.7％) were converted to atrial tachycardia (AT) that subsequently restored SR with further ablation in 98 patients (33.4％),and a total of 162 patients (55.3％) underwent cardioversion due to persistent atrial arrhythmias.Comparison between termination by ablation and termination by cardioversion in patients exhibiting AF or AT revealed that no significant difference was observed in early recurrence (38.2％ vs.43.8％,P=0.328) and SR maintenance (67.2％ vs.59.8％,P=0.198) during the (23±7) months follow-up.Even after repeat ablation,the SR maintenance continued to exhibit no statistical difference in above two groups (72.5％ vs.70.4％,P=0.686).Further analysis of subgroups,however,demonstrated that patients with AF terminated directly to SR experienced better clinical outcomes than other subgroups (P ＜0.05).Furthermore,atrial arrhythmias present during ablation have been implicated in prediction of recurrence mode:AF or AT (P ＜0.05).Conclusions Termination as a procedural endpoint is not associated with favorable long-term SR maintenance in persistent AF.AF methods that convert arrhythmia directly to SR have,however,been linked with improved clinical outcomes,although conversions to AT may not be correlated.Atrial arrhythmias observed during the ablation may be used to predict the recurrence mode.

BACKGROUNDRadiofrequency (RF) ablation has become a widely accepted treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to identify the efficacy and safety of pulmonary vein (PV) ablation with ethanol and to explore an alternative energy source for catheter ablation of AF.

METHODSTwelve open-chest mongrel dogs were randomized into ethanol ablation group and control group. Both the injections and electrophysiological mapping procedures were performed epicardialy. In ethanol ablation group (n = 6), injections were performed to circumferentially ablate the root of each PV (0.2 ml each site, 3 mm apart) with 95% ethanol using an 1 ml injector. In control group (n = 6), saline was injected other than ethanol. PV isolation was confirmed with a circular catheter immediately after the procedure and at follow up of 30 days. PV isolation was defined as the absence of PV potentials at each electrode of the circular catheter positioned at the PV side of the lesions, as well as complete conduction block into left atrium (LA) during PV pacing.

RESULTSPV electrical isolation with complete bidirectional conduction block was achieved with ethanol immediately and at 30 days in 95% of PVs, while saline injection caused only transient conduction changes between LA and PVs. In ethanol group, histologic analysis showed transmural lesions at 30 days. And there was no evidence of PV stenosis or thrombus formation. Mean LA diameter was not significantly different between baseline and 30 days.

CONCLUSIONEthanol is a safe energy source to effectively isolate PV in canine model and may be promising in endocardial ablation procedure of AF patients in the future.

Animals ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Dogs ; Electrophysiology ; Ethanol ; Pulmonary Veins ; physiology ; surgery ; Random Allocation