scholarly journals Sex Differences in Mitral Annular Calcification and the Clinical Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiwon Seo ◽  
Hyeonju Jeong ◽  
Iksung Cho ◽  
Geu-Ru Hong ◽  
Jong-Won Ha ◽  
...  

Background: Heterogeneous mechanisms may contribute to the occurrence of mitral annular calcification (MAC), however, little is known about the sex differences in MAC and the clinical implications of these differences. This study aimed to investigate clinical and imaging differences of MAC according to sex.Methods: In total, 537 patients (221 men) with MAC were identified by transthoracic echocardiography at a single center from January 2012 to June 2016. Moderate-to-severe MAC was defined as calcification extent ≥120° of the mitral annulus. Significant functional mitral stenosis (MS) was defined as a transmitral mean diastolic pressure gradient ≥5 mmHg.Results: Women more frequently had moderate-to-severe MAC and concomitant mitral regurgitation than men; however, significant functional MS was comparable between sexes. In the logistic regression analysis, old age, uncontrolled hypertension, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were significantly associated with moderate-to-severe MAC in women, whereas ESRD and moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis were in men. In the Cox regression analysis, significant functional MS was associated with all-cause death in both sexes, although an independent association was found in only women.Conclusion: Women had more extended MAC than men. Significant functional MS was independently associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with MAC, which was more pronounced in women than in men.

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Krau ◽  
Sandra Freitag-Wolf ◽  
Doreen Brehm ◽  
Rainer Petzina ◽  
Georg Lutter ◽  
...  

Background: GDF15 belongs to the transforming growth factor superfamily and has a significant role in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. GDF15 is an emerging biomarker for risk stratification in cardiovascular disease. Here we analyze its prognostic value in patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods and Results: We prospectively enrolled 217 patients undergoing TAVI (using Edwards Sapien XT prostheses) at our institution over a continuous period of 35 month (2/2011-12/2013). All patients were available for complete follow up. Clinical parameters were determined before the procedure, biomarkers (GDF15 & NTproBNP) were measured before, 3 and 7 days after TAVI. The primary endpoint was survival time, all available prognostic factors were studied by Cox regression analysis with backward selection based on the likelihood ratio criteria. At median follow-up of 349 d (Q1-Q3 106-660d), a total of n=66 deaths occurred. 30d mortality was 6.9%. Mean age was 81.8 years (± 6.0 y) and 55.8% were females. Mean log. Euroscore (ES) was 25.4% (± 17.2%). Median preprocedural GDF15 values were 2256 pg/ml (Q1-Q3 1585.5-3082.0). In univariate analyses, increased GDF15 levels (upper quartile compared to lower three quartiles) revealed a HR of 2.4 (CI 1.5-3.9, p<0.001) for adverse outcome. In addition, also log. ES (p= 0.001), log. ES II (p=0.018), STS-Score (p=0.019), NTproBNP (p=0.037) and atrial fibrillation (p=0.02) demonstrated statistical significance for negative outcome. A multivariate Cox regression analysis including these factors and postprocedural aortic regurgitation, demonstrated that elevated GDF15 had a HR of 2.104 (CI 1.3-3.5; p=0.003) for negative outcome in patients undergoing TAVI, while elevated NTproBNP had HR of 1.412 (CI 0.8-2.4; p=0.212). Moreover, this analysis also revealed the log. ES as an independent risk factor (HR of 2.211, CI 1.3-3.7; p= 0.002). Conclusion: Increased GDF15 levels are associated with a poor prognosis in patients undergoing TAVI. Furthermore, GDF15 showed to be superior to the established biomarker NTproBNP in risk stratification of patients undergoing TAVI providing additional prognostic information.


Author(s):  
Andreas Schaefer ◽  
Harun Sarwari ◽  
Niklas Schofer ◽  
Yvonne Schneeberger ◽  
Dirk Westermann ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We herein aimed for analysis of influence of mitral annular calcification (MAC) and mitral stenosis (MS) on outcomes in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods Between 11/2009 and 06/2017, 1,058 patients underwent TAVI in the presence of concomitant MAC or MS at our center. Subgroups were built and multivariate logistic regression, COX regression, Kaplan–Meier survival analyses, and receiver operating characteristics method were performed. Results Thirty-day mortality was 7.5% (79/1,058) with highest mortality in patients severe MS (MAC: 3.4% vs. mild MS: 5.9% vs. moderate MS: 15.0% vs. severe MS: 72.7%; p < 0.001). Moderate-to-severe MS (odds ratio [OR]: 7.75, confidence interval [CI]: 3.94–16.26, p < 0.001), impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (OR: 1.38, CI: 1.10–1.72, p < 0.01), and coronary artery disease (OR: 1.36, CI: 1.11–1.67, p < 0.01) were predictive of 30-day survival. Left ventricular systolic/end-diastolic pressure drop of <59.5 mm Hg / <19.5 mm Hg was associated with increased mortality. Conclusions TAVI in the presence of MAC and mild MS is associated with acceptable acute outcomes but should be considered high-risk procedures in patients with moderate and especially those with severe MS. Our results suggest adverse hemodynamics after TAVI with concomitant MS, which may be caused by underfilling of the left ventricle leading to low-cardiac output.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eigir Einarsen ◽  
Dana Cramariuc ◽  
Mai Tone Lonnebakken ◽  
Kurt Boman ◽  
Christa Gohlke-Bärwolf ◽  
...  

Objective: Asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) has been associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality in smaller studies with severe aortic stenosis (AS). This association has not been tested in a large, longitudinal study. Methods: Clinical, echocardiographic and outcome data from 1730 patients with asymptomatic AS, participated in the Simvastatin Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis study (SEAS), a randomized placebo controlled study evaluating the effect of lipid lowering medications on progression of AS, were used. ASH was considered present if interventricular septal/posterior wall thickness ratio exceeded 1.5. The association of ASH with rate of major cardiovascular (CV) events was tested in time-dependent cox-regression analysis. Results: During a median of 4.3 years follow-up, ASH developed in 17.0 % of patients, and was associated with higher left ventricular mass (LVM) and body mass index (BMI) compared to non-ASH patients (all p<0.05). In time-varying Cox regression analysis, ASH predicted a 50% greater incidence of ischemic CV events (ICE), a 63% greater incidence in the need for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at the time of aortic valve replacement, and a 2-fold higher incidence of hospitalization for heart failure due to progression of AS (CHFAS) independent of important confounders (all p<0.05) (Table). Conclusions: Development of ASH during progression of AS was a strong predictor of major CV events in patients participating in the SEAS-study. Table: Results are presented as Hazard ratio (95% Confidence Interval).


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-223
Author(s):  
Haichao Wang ◽  
Li Gong ◽  
Xiaomei Xia ◽  
Qiong Dong ◽  
Aiping Jin ◽  
...  

Background: Depression and anxiety after stroke are common conditions that are likely to be neglected. Abnormal red blood cell (RBC) indices may be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the association of RBC indices with post-stroke depression (PSD) and poststroke anxiety (PSA) has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods: We aimed to investigate the trajectory of post-stroke depression and anxiety in our follow- up stroke clinic at 1, 3, and 6 months, and the association of RBC indices with these. One hundred and sixty-two patients with a new diagnosis of ischemic stroke were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months, and underwent Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the general anxiety disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire for evaluation of depression and anxiety, respectively. First, we used Kaplan-Meier analysis to investigate the accumulated incidences of post-stroke depression and post-stroke anxiety. Next, to explore the association of RBC indices with psychiatric disorders after an ischemic stroke attack, we adjusted for demographic and vascular risk factors using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 162 patients with new-onset of ischemic stroke, we found the accumulated incidence rates of PSD (1.2%, 17.9%, and 35.8%) and PSA (1.2%, 13.6%, and 15.4%) at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The incident PSD and PSA increased 3 months after a stroke attack. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated independent positive associations between PSD risk and higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.16-1.76), older age (OR=2.63, 95% CI=1.16-5.93), and a negative relationship between male sex (OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.91-0.99) and PSA. Conclusion: The risks of PSD and PSA increased substantially 3 months beyond stroke onset. Of the RBC indices, higher MCV, showed an independent positive association with PSD.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Chen ◽  
Yuxiang Dong ◽  
Yitong Pan ◽  
Yuhan Zhang ◽  
Ping Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Breast cancer is one of the main malignant tumors that threaten the lives of women, which has received more and more clinical attention worldwide. There are increasing evidences showing that the immune micro-environment of breast cancer (BC) seriously affects the clinical outcome. This study aims to explore the role of tumor immune genes in the prognosis of BC patients and construct an immune-related genes prognostic index. Methods The list of 2498 immune genes was obtained from ImmPort database. In addition, gene expression data and clinical characteristics data of BC patients were also obtained from the TCGA database. The prognostic correlation of the differential genes was analyzed through Survival package. Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the prognostic effect of immune genes. According to the regression coefficients of prognostic immune genes in regression analysis, an immune risk scores model was established. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to probe the biological correlation of immune gene scores. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results In total, 556 immune genes were differentially expressed between normal tissues and BC tissues (p < 0. 05). According to the univariate cox regression analysis, a total of 66 immune genes were statistically significant for survival risk, of which 30 were associated with overall survival (P < 0.05). Finally, a 15 immune genes risk scores model was established. All patients were divided into high- and low-groups. KM survival analysis revealed that high immune risk scores represented worse survival (p < 0.001). ROC curve indicated that the immune genes risk scores model had a good reliability in predicting prognosis (5-year OS, AUC = 0.752). The established risk model showed splendid AUC value in the validation dataset (3-year over survival (OS) AUC = 0.685, 5-year OS AUC = 0.717, P = 0.00048). Moreover, the immune risk signature was proved to be an independent prognostic factor for BC patients. Finally, it was found that 15 immune genes and risk scores had significant clinical correlations, and were involved in a variety of carcinogenic pathways. Conclusion In conclusion, our study provides a new perspective for the expression of immune genes in BC. The constructed model has potential value for the prognostic prediction of BC patients and may provide some references for the clinical precision immunotherapy of patients.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Chung-Min Kang ◽  
Saemi Seong ◽  
Je Seon Song ◽  
Yooseok Shin

The use of hydraulic silicate cements (HSCs) for vital pulp therapy has been found to release calcium and hydroxyl ions promoting pulp tissue healing and mineralized tissue formation. The present study investigated whether HSCs such as mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) affect their biological and antimicrobial properties when used as long-term pulp protection materials. The effect of variables on treatment outcomes of three HSCs (ProRoot MTA, OrthoMTA, and RetroMTA) was evaluated clinically and radiographically over a 48–78 month follow-up period. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Fisher’s exact test and Cox regression analysis were used to determine hazard ratios of clinical variables. The overall success rate of MTA partial pulpotomy was 89.3%; Cumulative success rates of the three HSCs were not statistically different when analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. None of the investigated clinical variables affected success rates significantly. These HSCs showed favorable biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties in partial pulpotomy of permanent teeth in long-term follow-up, with no statistical differences between clinical factors.


Author(s):  
Philip J. Johnson ◽  
Sofi Dhanaraj ◽  
Sarah Berhane ◽  
Laura Bonnett ◽  
Yuk Ting Ma

Abstract Background The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a presumed measure of the balance between neutrophil-associated pro-tumour inflammation and lymphocyte-dependent antitumour immune function, has been suggested as a prognostic factor for several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods In this study, a prospectively accrued cohort of 781 patients (493 HCC and 288 chronic liver disease (CLD) without HCC) were followed-up for more than 6 years. NLR levels between HCC and CLD patients were compared, and the effect of baseline NLR on overall survival amongst HCC patients was assessed via multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results On entry into the study (‘baseline’), there was no clinically significant difference in the NLR values between CLD and HCC patients. Amongst HCC patients, NLR levels closest to last visit/death were significantly higher compared to baseline. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that NLR was an independent prognostic factor, even after adjustment for the HCC stage. Conclusion NLR is a significant independent factor influencing survival in HCC patients, hence offering an additional dimension in prognostic models.


Author(s):  
Sahrai Saeed ◽  
Anastasia Vamvakidou ◽  
Spyridon Zidros ◽  
George Papasozomenos ◽  
Vegard Lysne ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims It is not known whether transaortic flow rate (FR) in aortic stenosis (AS) differs between men and women, and whether the commonly used cut-off of 200 mL/s is prognostic in females. We aimed to explore sex differences in the determinants of FR, and determine the best sex-specific cut-offs for prediction of all-cause mortality. Methods and results Between 2010 and 2017, a total of 1564 symptomatic patients (mean age 76 ± 13 years, 51% men) with severe AS were prospectively included. Mean follow-up was 35 ± 22 months. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was significantly higher in men than women (63% vs. 42%, P &lt; 0.001). Men had higher left ventricular mass and lower left ventricular ejection fraction compared to women (both P &lt; 0.001). Men were more likely to undergo an aortic valve intervention (AVI) (54% vs. 45%, P = 0.001), while the death rates were similar (42.0% in men and 40.6% in women, P = 0.580). A total of 779 (49.8%) patients underwent an AVI in which 145 (18.6%) died. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, each 10 mL/s decrease in FR was associated with a 7% increase in hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality (HR 1.07; 95% CI 1.03–1.11, P &lt; 0.001). The best cut-off value of FR for prediction of all-cause mortality was 179 mL/s in women and 209 mL/s in men. Conclusion Transaortic FR was lower in women than men. In the group undergoing AVI, lower FR was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, and the optimal cut-off for prediction of all-cause mortality was lower in women than men.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1419
Author(s):  
Justina Bekampytė ◽  
Agnė Bartnykaitė ◽  
Aistė Savukaitytė ◽  
Rasa Ugenskienė ◽  
Erika Korobeinikova ◽  
...  

Breast cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases among women worldwide. Cell cycle and apoptosis—related genes TP53, BBC3, CCND1 and EGFR play an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. However, the roles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes have not been fully defined. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association between TP53 rs1042522, BBC3 rs2032809, CCND1 rs9344 and EGFR rs2227983 polymorphisms and breast cancer phenotype and prognosis. For the purpose of the analysis, 171 Lithuanian women were enrolled. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood; PCR-RFLP was used for SNPs analysis. The results showed that BBC3 rs2032809 was associated with age at the time of diagnosis, disease progression, metastasis and death. CCND1 rs9344 was associated with tumor size, however an association resulted in loss of significance after Bonferroni correction. In survival analysis, significant associations were observed between BBC3 rs2032809 and OS, PFS and MFS. EGFR rs2227983 also showed some associations with OS and PFS (univariate Cox regression analysis). However, the results were in loss of significance (multivariate Cox regression analysis). In conclusion, BBC3 rs2032809 polymorphism was associated with breast cancer phenotype and prognosis. Therefore, it could be applied as potential markers for breast cancer prognosis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document