Bioinformatics Analysis on lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles for Novel Biological Features of Valvular Heart Disease with Atrial Fibrillation

The biological features of the valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation(AF-VHD)remain unknown when involving long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs).This study performed system analysis on lncRNA and messenger RNA(mRNA)expression profiles constructed by using bioinformatics methods and tools for biological features of AF-VHD.Fold change and t-test were used to identify differentially expressed(DE)lncRNAs and mRNAs.The enrichment analysis of DE mRNAs was performed.The subgroups formed by lncRNAs and nearby mRNAs were screened,and a transcriptional regulation network among lncRNAs,mRNAs,and transcription factors(TFs)was constructed.The interactions between mRNAs related to lncRNAs and drugs were predicted.The 620 AF-VHDrelated DE lncRNAs and 452 DE mRNAs were identified.The 3 lncRNA subgroups were screened.The 665 regulations mediated by lncRNAs and TFs were identified.The 9 mRNAs related to lncRNAs had 1 or more potential drug interactions,totaling 37 drugs.Of these,9 drugs targeting 3 genes are already known to be able to control or trigger atrial fibrillation(AF)or other cardiac arrhythmias.The found biological features of AF-VHD provide foundations for further biological experiments to better understand the roles of lncRNAs in development from the valvular heart disease(VHD)to AF-VHD.

One Case of Diabetes Nephropathy Stage V, Combined Valvular Disease, Total Heart Failure with Diabetes Foot Gangrene

The patient was found to have 4+urine sugar by physical examination 14 years ago and was treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs. Insulin was injected intramuscularly nine years ago. Two and a half years ago, it was found that the color of the thumb, index and middle toe of the left foot became black. He went to a third-class hospital in Beijing and was diagnosed as “diabetes foot”. He was treated with “balloon dilation of lower limb blood vessels of diabetes foot”. Half a year ago, the third toe on the right side was broken and treated in the hospital again. “Popliteal artery stent implantation” was given for the diagnosis of “double kidney insufficiency, diabetes foot, left heart failure, combined heart valve disease”, “Hemofiltration therapy” and anti-inflammatory, amino acid supplementation, kidney function protection, anticoagulation, anemia correction and other treatments. Later, he went to our hospital and was diagnosed by the TCM diagnosis: category of consumptive disease, toe or finger gangrene (syndrome/pattern of qi and yin deficiency). Western medicine diagnosed: stage V of diabetes nephropathy, type II diabetes foot gangrene, combined with heart valve disease, hypoalbuminemia, double kidney cyst, moderate anemia, pleural effusion, hyperkalemia, pulmonary infection, and total heart failure. The patient was treated by the Qi-acupuncture therapy of TCM in combination with Chinese and Western medicine Medical treatment made the patient significantly better and discharged.

Mechanical versus biological prosthetic heart valves in pregnant women with valvular heart disease

Background The pregnant women with a prosthetic heart valve(PHV)are considered to have a higher risk of cardiovascular,obstetric and fetal/neonatal complications when they underwent anticoagulation therapy in all 3 trimesters.This report evaluated the comparative results of pregnant women wearing mechanical and biological PHV.Methods The outcomes of different types of PHV were assessed retrospectively in pregnant women in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2008 to May 2021.A total of 243 women(319 pregnancies)were enrolled and divided into mechanical PHV group and biological PHV group according to the types of PHV implanted.The baseline data of all pregnancies were studied.Cardiovascular,obstetric and fetal/neonatal complications in 201 completed pregnancies of 165 women with different PHV were analyzed.Results 319 pregnancies occurred,of which 201 pregnancies(165 women)≥20 weeks duration,including 159 pregnancies with mechanical PHV and 42 pregnancies with biological PHV.Miscarriages were more common in women with mechanical PHV[40 pregnancies(14.65%),≤20 weeks],while only one case was noted in women with biological PHV(P<0.05).The induced abortion rate of women with mechanical PHV(27.11%vs.6.52%,P<0.05)was significantly higher compared with that in women with biological PHV.The incidence of cardiovascular,obstetric and fetal/neonatal complications was equally frequent in both groups after 20 weeks of gestation.Conclusions Pregnant women with mechanical PHV were more likely to have a complication of miscarriages than those with biological PHV,mainly due to the anticoagulation therapy.On the other hand,more women with mechanical PHV may choose not to become pregnant than women with biological PHV after counseling the risks of pregnancy.There was no significant difference in other aspects of maternal and fetal complications after 20 weeks of gestation.Women who cannot maintain therapeutic anticoagulation and frequent monitoring of mechanical PHV may consider biological PHV.

The Problem of Rehospitalisation for Heart Failure at the Cardiology Department of the Hôpital National Ignace Deen

Introduction: Despite current therapeutic advances, heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa remains a common, serious and costly disease, particularly due to rehospitalizations. The objective of this work was to determine the proportion of rehospitalizations for heart failure and to identify etiological factors. Methodology: This was a retrospective descriptive study with a duration of 8 months from April 1 to November 30, 2021. This study included all patients rehospitalized in the department for Heart Failure and who agreed to participate in our study. Results: During the period of our study, 437 patients were hospitalized in the HF department, among which we collected 126 cases of rehospitalization for HF with a frequency of 28.83%. The mean age of our patients was 46.32 ± 18.98 years with the extremes of 15 to 84 years. The most affected age group was between 35 and 44 years old in 24 cases, i.e. a frequency of 19%. We observed a female predominance of 64 cases, i.e. a frequency of 50.8% compared to 62 cases, i.e. a frequency of 49.2% with a sex ratio (M/F) equal to 0.96. 98 cases of our patients, i.e. a frequency of 77.8%, were mutual insurance companies who felt they had the necessary support from those around them. In our sample, the underlying heart disease was mainly represented by valvular heart disease in 59 cases, followed by hypertensive heart disease in 42 cases with the respective frequencies of 46.82% and 33.33%. The majority of our patients were rehospitalized (1 - 3) times after a first episode of HF flare-up in 117 cases or 92.9%. Irregularity at control and therapeutic break were the most common decompensation factors with frequencies of 75.8% and 74.2% respectively. The majority of our patients were rehospitalized (1 - 3) times after a first episode of HF flare-up in 117 cases or 92.9%. Irregularity at control and therapeutic break were the most common decompensation factors with frequencies of 75.8% and 74.2% respectively. Conclusion: It appears in this study that rehospitalizations for heart failure are frequent, linked to irregularity in control and the lack of therapeutic education.

Atrial fibrillation and rheumatic valvular heart disease:usefulness of very-low-dose amiodarone

Atrial fibrillation （AF） is frequently associated with rheumatic valvular heart disease （RVHD）. AF leads to systemic thromboembolic complications, reduced quality of life （QOL）, impaired ventricular function and also increased mortality. Multivariate analysis of results from a population-based study has shown that valvular heart disease is one of risk factors for development of AF.1 The frequency of RVHD has decreased in developed countries in recent years, but RVHD now constitutes a significant population for the cardiology services in developing countries.

Epidemiological survey of valvular heart disease for five years in a single cardiovascular center of Southern China: Changes in morbidity, etiological spectrum and management

Background Valvular heart disease （VHD） is defined as a structural or functional abnormality in cardiac valve which encompasses a number of common cardiovascular conditions. This study was aimed to analyze the epidemiological changes of VHD in a single cardiovascular center of Southern China. Methods A total of 13,138 VHD patients of Guangdong general hospital from January 2011 to December 2013 were screened by transthoracic echocardiography （TTE） or transesophageal echocardiography （TEE） and enrolled for this study. The morbidity, etiological spectrum and management of these patients were analyzed. Continuous variables were expressed as mean _＋ standard deviation. Categorical variables were expressed as ratio or percentage. Results Patients in this study were divided into different groups and were analyzed throughout changes in morbidity, etiological spectrum and management. Conclusions The prevalence of VHD remains high in Southern China and RHD is still the leading etiology of VHD. But morbidity rate is reduced and surgery is still the main treatment option.

Current Status and Challenges of Valvular Heart Disease Interventional Therapy

Valvular heart disease(VHD)is common in the global population,occupying an heavy disease burden among aging population.Currently,it is the booming era of transcatheter VHD treatment,even with superiority than traditional open heart surgery in some clinical outcomes.We collected data sources mainly derived from published articles and conference presentations,including randomized controlled trials,first-in-man studies,clinical registries,and other single-or multi-center and prospective or retrospective clinical studies.This review summarized the relevant devices and researches of transcatheter aortic valve replacement,transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement,transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement,and transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.Moreover,possible challenges of interventional therapy for various VHD in the future were discussed as well.

Differences in the predictive value of red cell distribution width for the mortality of patients with heart failure due to various heart diseases

Background Increased red blood cell distribution width （RDW） is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure （HF）. The objective of this study was to compare the differences in the predictive value of RDW in patients with HF due to different causes. Methods We retrospectively investigated 1,021 HF patients from October 2009 to December 2011 at Fuwai Hospital （Beijing, China）. HF in these patients was caused by three diseases; coronary heart disease （CHD）, dilated cardiomyopathy （DCM） and valvular heart disease （VHD）. Patients were followed-up for 21 ~ 9 months. Results The RDW, mortality and survival duration were significantly different among the three groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative survival decreased significantly with increased RDW in patients with HF caused by CHD and DCM, but not in those with HF patients caused by VHD. In a multivariable model, RDW was identified as an independent predictor for the mortality of HF patients with CHD （P 〈 0.001, HR 1.315, 95% CI 1.122-1.543）. The group with higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） and higher RDW than median had the lowest cumulative survival in patients with HF due to CHD, but not in patients with HF due to DCM. Conclusions RDW is a prognostic indicator for patients with HF caused by CHD and DCM; thus, RDW adds important information to NT-proBNP in CHD caused HF patients.

Heart valve disease in elderly Chinese population： effect of advanced age and comorbidities on treatment decision-making and outcomes

Background A considerable proportion of elderly patients with symptomatic severe heart valve disease are treated conservatively de- spite clear indications for surgical intervention. However, little is known about how advanced age and comorbidities affect treatment deci-sion-making and therapeutic outcomes. Methods Patients （n = 234, mean age： 78.5 ± 3.7 years） with symptomatic severe heart valve dis- ease hospitalized in our center were included. One hundred and fifty-one patients （65%） were treated surgically （surgical group） and 83 （35%） were treated conservatively （conservative group）. Factors that affected therapeutic decision-making and treatment outcomes were investi- gated and long-term survival was explored. Results Isolated aortic valve disease, female sex, chronic renal insufficiency, aged _〉 80 years, pneumonia, and emergent status were independent factors associated with therapeutic decision-making. In-hospital mortality for the surgical group was 5.3% （8/151）. Three patients （3.6%） in the conservative group died during initial hospitalization. Low cardiac output syndrome and chronic renal insufficiency were identified as predictors of in-hospital mortality in the surgical group. Conservative treatment was identi- fied as the single risk factor for late death in the entire study population. The surgical group had better 5-year （77.2% vs. 45.4%, P 〈 0.0001） and 10-year （34.5% vs. 8.9%, P 〈 0.0001） survival rates than the conservative group, even when adjusted by propensity score-matched analysis. Conclusions Advanced age and geriatric comorbidities profoundly affect treatment decision-making for severe heart valve disease. Valve surgery in the elderly was not only safe but was also associated with good long-term survival while conservative treatment was unfavorable for patients with symptomatic severe valve disease.

Study of Coronary Artery Disease in Single Aortic Valvular Disease

Objectives To analyze the results of coronary angiographies (CAG) in patients with single aortic valvular heart disease; To study the relationship between aortic valve diseases and coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods 105 patients with single aortic valvular heart disease before surgery underwent angiography. The data of clinical characteristics and angiographies were analyzed. Results 51 patients had symptoms of angina pectoris among 105 patients with single aortic valvular heart disease. Seven of them were confirmed coronary artery disease by angiographies. Although the incidence of angina in aortic valve stenosis group was significantly higher than that in aortic valve regurgitation, the probability of combination of CAD in aortic valve stenosis group was similar to the later. However, the probability of combination of CAD in degenerative aortic valve group was significantly higher than the groups of rheumatic, congenitally bicuspid aortic valves, and other causes (p < 0.01 ). Conclusions Angina pectoris is not sensitive for diagnosis of CAD in single aortic valve heart disease. The probability of combination of CAD in degenerative aortic valve disease is higher than that in aortic valve disease with other causes. Coronary angiography is strongly suggested for these patients.

Risk of cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has emerged as a public health problem of epidemic proportions worldwide.Accumulating clinical and epidemiological evidence indicates that NAFLD is not only associated with liver-related morbidity and mortality but also with an increased risk of coronary heart disease(CHD),abnormalities of cardiac function and structure(e.g.,left ventricular dysfunction and hypertrophy,and heart failure),valvular heart disease(e.g.,aortic valve sclerosis)and arrhythmias(e.g.,atrial fibrillation).Experimental evidence suggests that NAFLD itself,especially in its more severe forms,exacerbates systemic/hepatic insulin resistance,causes atherogenic dyslipidemia,and releases a variety of pro-inflammatory,pro-coagulant and pro-fibrogenic mediators that may play important roles in the pathophysiology of cardiac and arrhythmic complications.Collectively,these findings suggest that patients with NAFLD may benefit from more intensive surveillance and early treatment interventions to decrease the risk for CHD and other cardiac/arrhythmic complications.The purpose of this clinical review is to summarize the rapidly expanding body of evidence that supports a strong association between NAFLD and cardiovascular,cardiac and arrhythmic complications,to briefly examine the putative biological mechanisms underlying this association,and to discuss some of the current treatment options that may influence both NAFLD and its related cardiac and arrhythmic complications.

TLR2 was overexpressed independent of IL-6 in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation

Toll-like receptor 2 （TLR2） has recently been shown to be up-regulated in patients with non-valvular atrial fi-brillation （AF）. The present study was aimed to determine whether the pathogenesis and development of AF is associated with the up-regulation of TLR2. Clinical data and right atrial appendage （RAA） specimens were col-lected from 20 patients with persisten AF （PeAF）, 15 patients with paroxysmal AF （PaAF） and 13 patients with no history of AF undergoing valvular replacement. The results showed that gene expression and protein content of TLR2 were increased in both the AF subgroups, compared with the sinus rhythm （SR） group. Between the two AF subgroups, PaAF had a higher TLR2 level than PeAF. However, no difference in interluekin （IL）-6 content was found among the three groups, and no correlation was found between TLR2 and IL-6 in PeAF patients （r = 0.090, P = 0.706）, PaAF patients （r = 0.408, P = 0.131） and AF patients （r = -0.301, P = 0.079）. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TLR2 was distributed in RAAs of AF patients and confirmed the immunoblotting results. In conclusion, we demonstrated that TLR2 was elevated in AF （especially PaAF） patients with valvular heart disease, further implicating inflammation involved in the pathogenesis and development of AF.

Anesthetic management of a child with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome undergoing open heart surgery:A case report

BACKGROUND Cornelia de Lange syndrome(CdLS)is a congenital multisystemic genetic disorder.The expected lifespan of children with this disorder has been prolonged in parallel with the advances in medicine in recent years.However,they still more frequently undergo cardiac surgery.There are some challenges for clinicians when faced with CdLS patients.We present the perioperative management of a child with CdLS undergoing open-heart surgery.CASE SUMMARY Severe pulmonic and subpulmonic valvular stenosis,enlargement of the right side of the heart,mild tricuspid regurgitation,atrial septal defect,and patent ductus arteriosus were diagnosed in a 14-month-old boy with manifested cyanosis,developmental delay,and malnutrition.Attempted balloon valvuloplasty was unsuccessful due to a severe stenotic pulmonary valve,therefore it was decided to perform an open surgical repair.Following a successful and uncomplicated intraoperative course,the patient was extubated on postoperative day 5,and adrenalin and dopamine infusions were gradually decreased and stopped on postoperative days 6 and 10,respectively.Moderate laryngomalacia and suboptimal vocal cord movements were diagnosed,and tracheotomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy were performed under general anesthesia in the same session at postoperative day 32.The patient was discharged on postoperative day 85 after a challenging postoperative period with additional airway and nutritional problems.CONCLUSION This is the first report of the perioperative anesthetic and clinical management of a CdLS patient undergoing open-heart surgery.

Summary of the 2022 Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China

Recent decades have seen the remarkable development of China in medical accessibility and quality index,and the application of a number of new advanced cardiovascular technologies benefits more patients.However,according to the Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China published in this article,which was organized and summarized by National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases,there is still a huge population living with risk factors of cardiovascular diseases(CVD),and the morbidity and mortality of CVD are increasing.It is estimated that there are around 330 million patients suffering from CVD currently,including 245 million of hypertension,13 million of stroke,45.3 million of peripheral artery disease,11.39 million of coronary heart disease(CHD),8.9 million of heart failure,5 million of pulmonary heart disease,4.87 million of atrial fibrillation,2.5 million of rheumatic heart disease,and 2 million of congenital heart disease.Tobacco use,diet and nutrition factors,physical activity,overweight and obesity,and psychological factors are what affect cardiovascular health,while hypertension,dyslipidemia,diabetes,chronic kidney disease,metabolic syndrome,and air pollution are the risk factors for CVD.In this article,in addition to risk factors for CVD,we also report the epidemiological trends of CVD,including CHD,cerebrovascular disease,arrhythmias,valvular heart disease,congenital heart disease,cardiomyopathy,heart failure,pulmonary vascular disease and venous thromboembolism,and aortic and peripheral artery diseases,as well as the basic research and medical device development in CVD.In a word,China has entered a new stage of transforming from high-speed development focusing on scale growth to high-quality development emphasizing on strategic and key technological development to curb the trend of increasing incidence and mortality of CVD.

Clinical outcomes in patients with native valve infective endocarditis and diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND There is a lack of data on the clinical outcomes in patients with native valve infective endocarditis(NVIE)and diabetes mellitus(DM).AIM To investigate(1)trends in the prevalence of DM among patients with NVIE;and(2)the impact of DM on NVIE outcomes.METHODS We identified 76385 with NVIE from the 2004 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample,of which 22284(28%)had DM.We assessed trends in DM from 2004 to 2014 using the Cochrane Armitage test.We compared baseline comorbidities,microorganisms,and in-patients procedures between those with vs without DM.Propensity match analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to investigate study outcomes in in-hospital mortality,stroke,acute heart failure,cardiogenic shock,septic shock,and atrioventricular block.RESULTS Crude rates of DM increased from in 22%in 2004 to 30%in 2014.There were significant differences in demographics,comorbidities and NVIE risk factors between the two groups.Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism identified with higher rates in patients with DM(33.1%vs 35.6%;P<0.0001).After propensity matching,in-hospital mortality(11.1%vs 11.9%;P<0.0001),stroke(2.3%vs 3.0%;P<0.0001),acute heart failure(4.6%vs 6.5%;P=0.001),cardiogenic shock(1.5%vs 1.9%;P<0.0001),septic shock(7.2%vs 9.6%;P<0.0001),and atrioventricular block(1.5%vs 2.4%;P<0.0001),were significantly higher in patients with DM.Independent predictors of mortality in NVIE patients with DM include hemodialysis,congestive heart failure,atrial fibrillation,staphylococcus aureus,and older age.CONCLUSION There is an increasing prevalence of DM in NVIE and it is associated with poorer outcomes.Further studies are crucial to identify the clinical,and sociodemographic contributors to this trend and develop strategies to mitigate its attendant risk.

Paradoxical Low Flow Low Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis—An Under-Recognized Entity

Some patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), due to restrictive cardiac physiology, paradoxically have relatively low flow and low gradients across stenotic aortic valves despite preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function. It results in symptoms and reduced quality of life and carries a high mortality. Whilst this form of severe AS, termed paradoxical low flow low gradient (pLFLG), is well reported, patients with this diagnosis experience inappropriate barriers to aortic valve replacement (AVR), the only efficacious treatment. We present the case of an 88-year-old female with 12 months of exertional dyspnoea on a background of hypothyroidism and hypercholesterolemia. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) revealed LV hypertrophy, with a small LV cavity size and reduced stroke volume, yet normal systolic function. A heavily calcified aortic valve was identified with severe aortic stenosis, based on valve area, yet with incongruous mean transvalvular gradient of 25 mmHg (severe ≥ 50 mmHg). Following exclusion of other differential diagnoses, her symptoms were attributed to paradoxical LFLG severe AS. She was however declined definitive transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) due to her paradoxically low mean aortic gradient. Following further deterioration in her symptoms and supportive quantification of poor exercise performance, she was ultimately re-referred, accepted, and underwent TAVI. Following her AVR, the patient experiences significant improvement in both symptoms and quality of life after only one month. Paradoxical LFLG severe AS remains a well-documented yet under recognized disease. It carries high morbidity and mortality if untreated, yet is significantly less likely to be referred and accepted for intervention. With its prevalence expected to rise with an ageing population, this case serves as a timely reminder for clinicians to address the under recognition of important pathology.

Early outcomes and analysis of factors influencing in-hospital mortality after concomitant heart valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting

Background Objective:To investigate the perioperative precautions,surgical methods and early clinical efficacy of patients with valvular heart disease complicated by coronary atherosclerotic heart disease treated with coronary artery bypass grafting at the same time as heart valve replacement and to analyze the relevant factors affecting the death of patients during hospitalization after surgery.Methods:Between January 2020 and September 2021,a total of 103 patients who underwent simultaneous heart valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting for heart valve disease in conjunction with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease at the Department of cardiac surgery,Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute were retrospectively evaluated for clinical data,and a systematic review and summary of all preoperative data,surgical methods,intraoperative data,and major complications were performed.The variations in each cardiotocography indicator were examined before and after surgery to determine surgical effectiveness and statistical perioperative patient mortality.After integrating the Sino SCORE risk assessment system and analyzing the case features included in this data,12 alternative risk variables for mortality were identified and submitted to univariate and multivariate analysis using logistic regression.After performing a univariate analysis of the alternative risk factors,the option of P<0.05 was considered a risk factor and included in the multivariate analysis,followed by a multivariate logistic regression analysis in which the factors were determined to be independent risk factors with P<0.05,and their OR values and 95 percent confidence intervals(CIs)were calculated to analyze the associated factors affecting patients’early prognosis systematically.Results:Of the 103 patients,91 were successfully discharged from the hospital,12 died,11.7%of the deaths were due to the following causes:postoperative low cardiac output syndrome,multiple organ failure,and severe infection;Among all the 103 patients,7 patients underwent rebleeding and hemostasis after surgery,6 patients required dialysis after surgery,28 patients underwent IABP supportive care after surgery because of the occurrence of low cardiac output syndrome,1 patient assisted by ECMO after surgery,and patients discharged successfully had significantly less LVEDD and LVESD in the early postoperative period,compared with those before surgery(P=0.000;P=0.000).Age>70 years,preoperative combined hyperlipidemia,and history of the cerebrovascular accident were the three independent risk factors that may have contributed to in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing CABG valve replacement.Conclusions:1.The diastolic function of the majority of patients with valvular heart disease and coronary atherosclerotic heart disease improved significantly in the early stages after coronary artery bypass grafting and heart valve replacement.2.Age>70 years,preoperative combined hyperlipidemia,and a history of the cerebrovascular accident were three independent risk factors for in-hospital death in patients receiving CABG valve replacement.