Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

JAMA 2021 06;325(24):2512

University of California, San Francisco.

Ann Thorac Surg 2021 Jun 17. Epub 2021 Jun 17.

Division of Cardiac, Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. Electronic address:

Alkaptonuria is a rare condition of inborn error of metabolism. Association with aortic stenosis has been described; however, diagnosis at the time of valve replacement is infrequent. Recognition of this condition has potential management implications as the durability of prosthetic valves in such cases is unknown. Read More

Eur Heart J Case Rep 2021 May 12;5(5):ytab169. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Background : Bioprosthetic tricuspid valve stenosis (TS) is an uncommon and frequently under-diagnosed condition. Although the resulting right heart failure symptoms are well-known, the associated thrombogenic potential is under-recognized.

Case Summary : A 44-year-old woman with bioprosthetic tricuspid valve (TV) replacement in 2001 was referred for urgent consultation due to acute worsening of dyspnoea and severe swelling and pain in her left arm and neck. Read More

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021 Jun 2;205:111894. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobiomaterials, Institute of Advanced Materials, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang 330013, China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China. Electronic address:

Effective surface modification to endow pyrolytic carbon (PYC) with long-term anti-thrombotic performance is highly demanded. In this work, a gradient hydrophobic surface on PYC was prepared by creating parallel ridges via the combination of laser etching technology and surface fluorosilanization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation confirms that the gradient hydrophobic surface is composed of a bare PYC region and four regions of parallel ridges with varying distances. Read More

Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2021 Jun 6. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Ardahan University, Ardahan, Turkey.

Radiographics 2021 Jun 11:200142. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

From the Departments of Radiology (M.D.G., R.D.M., S.D.K., R.M.B., J.D.M., D.W.G., E.A.R.) and Cardiology (J.M.R.), Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Ave, Tacoma, WA 98431; and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md (M.D.G., J.M.R., D.W.G., E.A.R.).

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the primary initial imaging modality in cardiac imaging. Advantages include portability, safety, availability, and ability to assess the morphology and physiology of the heart in a noninvasive manner. Because of this, many patients who undergo advanced imaging with CT or MRI will have undergone prior TTE, particularly when cardiac CT angiography or cardiac MRI is performed. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Jun 10;11(1):12299. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

Biostabilization Laboratory, Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany.

Freeze-drying can be used to ensure off-the-shelf availability of decellularized heart valves for cardiovascular surgery. In this study, decellularized porcine aortic heart valves were analyzed by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) staining and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify oxidative damage during freeze-drying and subsequent storage as well as after treatment with HO and FeCl. NBT staining revealed that sucrose at a concentration of at least 40% (w/v) is needed to prevent oxidative damage during freeze-drying. Read More

Clin Lab 2021 Jun;67(6)

Background: Anticoagulation of pregnant woman with mechanical prosthetic heart valves is associated with significant maternal and fetal risks.

Methods: We describe a case of dorsal midline dysplasia in a fetus at 11 weeks' gestation. The mother was receiving warfarin therapy at a dose of 7. Read More

JACC Basic Transl Sci 2021 May 14;6(5):403-412. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Male and female aortic stenosis patients have distinct valvular phenotypes, increasing the complexities in the evaluation of valvular pathophysiology. In this study, we present cutting-edge artificial intelligence analyses of transcriptome-wide array data from stenotic aortic valves to highlight differences in gene expression patterns between the sexes, using both sex-differentiated transcripts and unbiased gene selections. This approach enabled the development of efficient models with high predictive ability and determining the most significant sex-dependent contributors to calcification. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2021 May 17;13(10). Epub 2021 May 17.

Management & Science University Medical Centre, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, Section 13, Shah Alam 40100, Malaysia.

The global transplantation market size was valued at USD 8.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.5% over the forecast period. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2021 May 26. Epub 2021 May 26.

Department of Cardiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia; Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Q fever endocarditis by Coxiella burnetii is rare and presents a diagnostic challenge. With limited data available, the aim of this study was to review all reported cases together with unpublished local cases to understand risk factor profiles, diagnostic methods, clinical features, treatments and outcomes.

Methods: A search of the PubMed database using the term 'Q fever endocarditis' identified cases between 1950-2019. Read More

Cureus 2021 Apr 23;13(4):e14651. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Cardiology, McLaren Flint, Flint, USA.

Background There are no clear consensus guidelines on the indications and types of anticoagulation therapies in patients with bio-prosthetic valves either with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) or sinus rhythm. In our meta-analysis, we assessed the safety and efficacy of DOACs as compared to the standard treatment with warfarin in patients with AF and bioprosthetic valves. Methods We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies in the English language, and studies reporting patients with valvular heart disease that included bioprosthetic valvular disease. Read More

Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2021 May 24. Epub 2021 May 24.

Abbott Laboratories, 177 County Rd B E, Little Canada, MN, 55117, USA.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to demonstrate the range in effective orifice area (EOA) values that may be possible given the ISO 5840 definition of EOA and the practical limits in the accurate measurement of pressure differential across large diameter valves.

Methods: A 31 mm mechanical valve was tested on a commercially available pulse duplicator configured for mitral valve testing and tuned to nominal conditions. The experimental data was used as a basis for performing Monte Carlo analyses with published specifications for commonly used pressure sensors as well as measurement equipment accuracy requirements described in ISO 5840. Read More

Open Heart 2021 May;8(1)

Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Objective: Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis (BPVT) is increasingly recognised as a major cause of prosthetic dysfunction in the first years postimplantation. How early abnormal gradients can be detected prior to diagnosis and how fast they normalise with anticoagulant therapy is unknown. We set forth to (1) evaluate patterns of increase in gradients prior to BPVT diagnosis and (2) characterise time-course of response to anticoagulation. Read More

PLoS One 2021 17;16(5):e0246221. Epub 2021 May 17.

Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Due to an increasing number of cardiovascular diseases, artificial heart valves and blood vessels have been developed. Although cardiovascular applications using decellularized tissue have been studied, the mechanisms of their functionality remain unknown. To determine the important factors for preparing decellularized cardiovascular prostheses that show good in vivo performance, the effects of the luminal surface structure of the decellularized aorta on thrombus formation and cell behavior were investigated. Read More

Hellenic J Cardiol 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

First Department of Cardiology, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Kiriakidi 1, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address:

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) constitutes an emerging imaging technique, which can be utilized in cardiovascular medicine to study in-detail the microstructure of heart and vessels. This paper aims to systematically review the clinical utility of micro-CT in cardiovascular imaging and propose future applications of micro-CT imaging in cardiovascular research. A systematic scoping review was conducted by searching for original studies written in English according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. Read More

Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2021 Jul 10;69(7):1041-1049. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Cardiology, Osaka City General Hospital, 2-13-22, Miyakojima Hondori, Miyakojima, Osaka, 534-0021, Japan.

Atrial functional mitral regurgitation is a hot research topic in the field of mitral valve disease. Atrial functional mitral regurgitation is distinctly different from ventricular functional mitral regurgitation. The surgical indications for atrial functional mitral regurgitation have not been well established because of the small amount of evidence gathered to date. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 May;77(18):2276-2287

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Background: Stroke is one of the most common and potentially disabling complications of infective endocarditis (IE). However, scarce data exist about stroke complicating IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with definite IE after TAVR complicated by stroke during index IE hospitalization. Read More

Cardiovasc J Afr 2021 May 4;32:1-4. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban, South Africa.

Rheumatic heart disease is one of the leading causes of valve dysfunction, resulting in prosthetic valve implantation. Changes in physiology and the haemodynamics of pregnancy increase the susceptibility of thrombosis to the prosthetic valve in the pregnant woman. Valve redo surgery carries a considerable risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2021 May 3. Epub 2021 May 3.

Internal Medicine Department, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Notre Dame, Secours University Hospital Jbeil and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Rue 93, Hboub- St Charbel, B.P.3, Jbeil, Lebanon.

Brucellosis is a multisystemic disease with serious cardiac involvement mainly endocarditis. It is a lethal but rare complication involving congenital, prosthetic and even native valves. Positive hemoculture confirm the diagnosis. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2021 Apr 30. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Asia Heart Hospital, Wuhan, P.R. China; Affiliated Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China. Electronic address:

Aim: For several years now, trileaflet aortic valve reconstruction has been performed in patients with various aortic valve diseases. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and durability of trileaflet aortic valve reconstruction with bovine pericardium.

Method: Trileaflet aortic valve reconstruction with bovine pericardium was performed in 519 patients with various aortic valve diseases from April 2008 to December 2019. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2021 May 4;15(1):260. Epub 2021 May 4.

Faghihi Hospital-Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Background: Although life-threatening hemorrhage is a usual manifestation of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), thrombotic events seem to be more common in APL compared to other subtypes of acute leukemia. The treatment and prophylaxis of thrombosis are controversial due to the high risk of bleeding caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and thrombocytopenia. To the best of our knowledge we report the first case of APL in a patient with prosthetic heart valves successfully treated with a combination of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO). Read More

J Saudi Heart Assoc 2021 19;33(1):85-94. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Cardiovascular Medicine Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

Introduction: Computed Tomography (CT) scan is a helpful tool to assess the coronary arteries and the great vessels. However, its routine use in the assessment of patients with suspected prosthetic valve dysfunction (PVD) has not been studied thoroughly.

Objective: To determine the impact of routine cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) on diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in patients with suspected PVD. Read More

Cureus 2021 Mar 30;13(3):e14196. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Cardiology, University of Kentucky, Bowling Green, USA.

Calciphylaxis, or calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), is a rare vascular calcific disease that is most often associated with renal dysfunction and warfarin, particularly end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This condition causes debilitatingly painful skin lesions, oftentimes plaques, throughout areas of cutaneous and subcutaneous adiposity. The progression of these lesions to black eschar with ulceration is the hallmark of CUA. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2021 Jan 20. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Objectives: Improved durability and preference to avoid anticoagulation have led to increasing use of bioprostheses in younger patients despite the need for eventual reoperation. Therefore, we compared in-hospital complications, reoperation, and survival after bioprosthetic and mechanical aortic valve replacement.

Methods: From January 1990 to January 2020, 6143 patients underwent isolated aortic valve replacement at Cleveland Clinic; 637 patients received a mechanical prosthesis and 5506 a bioprosthesis. Read More

Innovations (Phila) 2021 May-Jun;16(3):273-279. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

46769 Istituto Clinico Sant'Ambrogio, Milano, Italy.

Objective: To report early and midterm results registry of patients undergoing repeated aortic valve replacement (RAVR) with sutureless prostheses from an international prospective registry (SURE-AVR).

Methods: Between March 2011 and June 2019, 69 patients underwent RAVR with self-expandable sutureless aortic bioprostheses at 22 international cardiac centers.

Results: Overall mortality was 2. Read More

Comput Biol Med 2021 06 14;133:104388. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Medical Sciences and Technologies Department,Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

The first step in the automatic evaluation of the cardiac prosthetic valve is the recognition of such valves in echocardiographic images. This research surveyed whether a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) could improve the recognition of prosthetic mitral valve in conventional 2D echocardiographic images. An efficient intervention to decrease the misreading rate of the prosthetic mitral valve is required for non-expert cardiologists. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Mar;9(6):521

Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have revolutionized the management of advanced heart failure. However, complications rates remain high, among which hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications are the most important. Antiplatelet and anticoagulation strategies form a cornerstone of LVAD management and may directly affect LVAD complications. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1M1; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3G9; Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3G8. Electronic address:

Surgical replacement remains the primary option to treat the rapidly growing number of patients with severe valvular heart disease. While current valve replacements - mechanical, bioprosthetic, and cryopreserved homografts - enhance survival and quality of life for many patients, the ideal prosthetic heart valve that is abundantly available, immunocompatible, and capable of growth, self-repair, and life-long performance has yet to be developed. These features are essential for pediatric patients with congenital defects, children and young adult rheumatic fever patients, and active adult patients with valve disease. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Background: Advanced aortic valve infective endocarditis (IE) with progression and destruction beyond the valve cusps-invasive IE-is incompletely characterized. We aimed to further characterize invasive disease extent, location, and stage and correlate macroscopic operative findings with microscopic disease patterns and progression.

Methods: Forty-three patients with invasive aortic valve IE were prospectively enrolled from 8/2017 to 7/2018. Read More