Coronary sinus electrogram characteristics predicts termination of AF with ablation and long-term clinical outcome.

Introduction- Markers predicting AF termination and freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) has been proposed. The role of CS electrogram characteristics has not yet been evaluated. Methods- Patients undergoing ablation for persistent AF as part of the Stochastic Trajectory Analysis of Ranked signals mapping study were included. Novel CS electrogram characteristics including CS cycle length variability (CLV) and CS activation pattern stability (APS) and proportion of low voltage zones (LVZs) were reviewed as potential predictors for AF termination on ablation and freedom from AF/AT during follow-up. The relationship between localized driver characteristics and CS electrogram characteristics were also assessed. Results- Sixty-five patients were included. AF termination was achieved in 51 patients and 80% of patients were free from AF/AT during a follow-up of 29.5±3.7 months. CS CLV of <30ms, CS APS of ≥30% and proportion of LVZ <30% showed a high diagnostic accuracy in predicting AF termination on ablation and freedom from AF/AT during follow-up (CS CLV OR 25.6, AUC 0.91; CS APS OR 15.9, AUC 0.94; proportion of LVZs OR 21.4, AUC 0.88). These markers were independent predictors of AF termination on ablation and AF/AT recurrence during follow-up. Ablation of a smaller number of drivers that demonstrate greater dominance strongly correlate with greater CS organization. Conclusions- Novel CS electrogram characteristics were independent predictors of AF termination and AF/AT recurrence during follow-up. These markers can potentially aid in predicting outcomes and guide ablation and follow-up strategies.

Combined serum anti-SSA/Ro and salivary TRIM29 reveals promising high diagnostic accuracy in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome

Objectives To determine the diagnostic potential of simultaneous presence of serum anti-SSA/Ro and upregulated salivary protein biomarkers in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Methods Previous proteomics data on the intensity of neutrophil elastase, calreticulin, tripartite motif containing protein 29 (TRIM29), clusterin and vitronectin provided basis for performing extended analysis. Protein data was obtained by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry technique in whole saliva from 24 patients with pSS and 16 patients having symptoms of pSS, but not fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism classification criteria (non-pSS). Serum anti-SSA/Ro antibody was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) value was calculated for combined biomarkers. Results Simultaneous presence of serum anti-SSA/Ro and upregulated salivary TRIM29 provided the most optimal combination with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.995 (95% CI 0.98–1.00, p = 2.0E-7 and standard error 0.007) and combinations of sensitivity and specificity within the interval of 91–100%. ROC analysis showed that salivary levels of TRIM29 alone enabled differentiation between pSS and non-pSS with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95%CI 0.77–1.00). All patients with pSS and 3 non-pSS patients were serum anti-SSA/Ro positive. Conclusions Simultaneous presence of serum anti-SSA/Ro and upregulated salivary TRIM29 provided a high diagnostic accuracy exceeding that of currently available tools used in pSS diagnostics. This biomarker combination represents a promising less invasive diagnostic tool for pSS. The clinical applicability of TRIM29 needs further testing in independent cohorts using relevant analytical techniques.

Comparative Evaluation of Three Serologic Assays for the Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies

Serologic assays for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies continue to be developed and approved rapidly with limited external validation. Accurate diagnostics are an essential component of pandemic management and public health. Residual serum samples (N=113) from patients who were evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 infection status by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were retrospectively tested in parallel across three automated SARS-CoV-2 serologic assays: Liaison SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG, Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibody, and Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Testing of 51 PCR-positive and 62 PCR-negative patients demonstrated qualitative inter-test agreement of 96% overall, 100% in PCR-negative patients, 88% in early positive samples (0-13 days post positive PCR), and 100% in convalescent samples (14+ days post positive PCR). Calculated kappa values for paired inter-test agreement ranged 0.93-0.96. Compared to PCR, overall percent positive agreement ranged from 82-86% (100% for convalescent samples) and percent negative agreement was 100% for each assay. This study demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and inter-test agreement for three automated SARS-CoV-2 serologic assays. External validation of serologic assays is critical to ensure diagnostic accuracy and appropriate utilization of critical resources.

Evaluation of Imaging-Guided Peritoneal Biopsy in Diagnosis of Ascites of Undetermined Origin

Background Regarding ascites of unknown origin, diagnostic laparoscopy is an invasive procedure, there are certain complications reported with this procedure i.e. haemorrhage, infection and air embolism. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies are easy to perform in an outpatient clinic. This procedure is safe, has a low incidence of injury and does not cause serious complications. Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy is not a real-time operation, and it involves quite a few complicated procedures. Aim To evaluate the role of imaging guided peritoneal biopsy in diagnosis of ascites of undetermined origin (ascites of local cause). 2ry aim was to present the role of imaging-guided biopsy of the omentum or other extravisceral masses as a minimally invasive procedure compared to laparoscopy in the diagnosis of these difficult-to-diagnose group of patients. Patients and methods Patients with clinically suspected and radiologically confirmed ascites of unknown etiology represented the population of our study. These patients were referred to the ascites study group (ASG) and admitted to Tropical Medicine Department, Ain Shams University Hospitals in the period from June 2017 to November 2019. The study was conducted on 63 patients with ascites of unknown etiology fulfilling the inclusion criteria. They underwent ultrasound-guided cytology/biopsy of peritoneum, omentum or extravisceral masses. CT guided percutaneous peritoneal biopsy was done in cases of failure of ultrasound guided technique. Laparoscopy was needed when the imaging-guided biopsy was not diagnostic. Results 54 patients (85.7%) underwent US guided biopsies, 48 patients of them (76.2%) were successfully diagnosed, while the other six patients (9.5%) were sent for laparoscopy after nonconclusive histopathological examination of the biopsies taken US guided. The patients underwent laparoscopy were successfully diagnosed except for one patient who died intraoperatively. The other nine patients (14.3%) underwent CT guided biopsies (not accessible by US guided modality) and all of them were successfully diagnosed. Imaging guided biopsies had perfect sensitivity (100%) and NPV (100%) in differentiating neoplastic lesions. We found that imaging-guided procedures had a high diagnostic accuracy of 88.8% & 100% done US & CT guided respectively with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 83.3% and NPV of 100%, which could distinguish malignant from benign ascites. Complications were most frequent in laparocopy, followed by CT guided biopsies and least in US guided biopsies with P-value &lt;0.001. Conclusion Percutaneous imaging-guided biopsy (US/CT guided) of the peritoneum, omenta, and mesentery has been established as a safe, well-tolerated procedure with high diagnostic accuracy. It can minimize further unnecessary invasive procedures e.g laparoscopy. It can help in directing the management, shortening the patient’s hospital stay and reducing the costs and complications.

Diagnostic test accuracy of artificial intelligence analysis of cross-sectional imaging in pulmonary hypertension: a systematic literature review

Objectives: To undertake the first systematic review examining the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to cross-sectional imaging for the diagnosis of acquired pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods: Searches of Medline, Embase and Web of Science were undertaken on July 1st 2020. Original publications studying AI applied to cross-sectional imaging for the diagnosis of acquired PAH in adults were identified through two-staged double-blinded review. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies and Checklist for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine frameworks. Narrative synthesis was undertaken following Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis guidelines. This review received no funding and was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID:CRD42020196295). Results: Searches returned 476 citations. Three retrospective observational studies, published between 2016 and 2020, were selected for data-extraction. Two methods applied to cardiac-MRI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, with the best model achieving AUC=0.90 (95% CI: 0.85–0.93), 89% sensitivity and 81% specificity. Stronger results were achieved using cardiac-MRI for classification of idiopathic PAH, achieving AUC=0.97 (95% CI: 0.89–1.0), 96% sensitivity and 87% specificity. One study reporting CT-based AI demonstrated lower accuracy, with 64.6% sensitivity and 97.0% specificity. Conclusions: Automated methods for identifying PAH on cardiac-MRI are emerging with high diagnostic accuracy. AI applied to cross-sectional imaging may provide non-invasive support to reduce diagnostic delay in PAH. This would be helped by stronger solutions in other modalities. Advances in knowledge: There is a significant shortage of research in this important area. Early detection of PAH would be supported by further research advances on the promising emerging technologies identified.

CSF and Circulating NFL as Biomarkers for the Discrimination of Parkinson Disease From Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes: Meta-analysis

Purposeof review: To evaluate whether CSF and circulating neurofilament light chain (NFL), a marker of axonal damage, could discriminate Parkinson’s disease (PD) from atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS).Recent findings:MEDLINE and SCOPUS were systematically searched, and fifteen studies were included (1035 PD patients,930 APS patients). CSF and circulating NFL levels were 1.26 and 1.53 standard deviations higher in APS compared to PD patients respectively [g=1.26 (95% CI 0.99-1.53);12 studies, 880 PD patients, 847 APS patients, g=1.53 (1.15-1.91);4 studies, 307 PD patients, 197 APS patients. Pooled areas under the curve were 0.941 (0.916-0.965) and 0.874 (0.802-0.946) for CSF and circulating NFL, corresponding to average sensitivities of 86% (79-90%) and 91% (86-95%), and specificity of 88% (82-92%) and 76% (62-85%), respectively.Summary:These results strongly support the high diagnostic accuracy of both CSF and circulating NFL in differentiating PD from APS, highlighting their usefulness as promising biomarkers.

Diagnosis of Pediatric Non-Esophageal Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders by Eosinophil Peroxidase Immunohistochemistry

Background Diagnosis of non-esophageal eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders requires quantification of tissue eosinophils. Our objective was to evaluate eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a method for histologic diagnosis of eosinophilic gastritis (EG) and eosinophilic duodenitis (EoD). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of biopsies from pediatric EG/EoD cases and controls. Subjects with EG or EoD had ≥30 eosinophils per high power field (eos/hpf) in ≥5 hpf in the stomach and/or ≥3 hpf in the duodenum, respectively. Controls had no histopathologic diagnosis recorded. Tissue eosinophil counts were assessed by hematoxylin & eosin stains. EPX stains were assessed using a unique histopathologic scoring system. Slides were digitized and EPX+ staining area/mm2 was quantified by image analysis. Results Twenty-six EG/EoD cases and 40 controls were analyzed. EPX scores and EPX/mm2 levels were markedly elevated in EG/EoD (p ≤ 0.0001). Eosinophil density (eos/mm2) correlated strongly with EPX scores and EPX/mm2 levels in the stomach (r ≥ 0.77) and moderately with EPX scores and EPX/mm2 levels in the duodenum (r ≥ 0.52); (p < 0.0001). EPX quantification identified EG/EoD subjects with high diagnostic accuracy (EPX score: AUC = 1 for EG and EoD; EPX/mm2: AUC = 0.98 (95%CI 0.96-1) for EG, AUC = 0.91 (95%CI 0.81-1) for EoD). Conclusion EPX-based assessment of eosinophilic inflammation may facilitate automated histologic diagnosis.

Ultrasound guided percutaneous biopsy of omentum: a safest technique to detect the causes of omental thickening

Background: The objective of our study was to determine the diagnostic value and safety of ultrasound guided percutaneous biopsy of omental thickening.Methods: We prospectively analyzed 60 patients who underwent USG-guided omental biopsies in our institute from January 2016 to December 2016.Results: Total 60 patients were included in our study. There were 40 (66.7%) female and 20 (33.3%) male patients. There were total 36 (60%) malignant cases, 20 (33.3%) chronic inflammation suggestive of TB while 4 (6.7%) were chronic peritoneal infection. Out of 36 malignant cases, majority 24 (66.7%) had ovarian cancer, 8 (22.2%) had endometrium cancer and 4 (11.1%) had large bowel cancer. Repeat biopsies were performed only in 4 (6.7%) cases.Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of omentum is less expensive, safe and effective method with a high diagnostic accuracy.

3D cardiac magnetic resonance stress-perfusion in elderly patients

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Swiss National Science Foundation Introduction Age related comorbidities and reduced compliance often limit ischaemia testing in elderly patients. Purpose To assessed the accuracy of 3D cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) stress perfusion in the elderly population. Methods 56 patients aged ≥75 years underwent 3D CMR stress-perfusion and invasive coronary angiography with quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) as part of a multicenter study. The accuracy of 3D CMR stress-perfusion was compared to patients aged &lt;75 years old (n = 360) using qualitative and quantitative imaging parameters. Results Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of qualitative 3D perfusion CMR were similar for both age groups in the detection of high-grade (≥50%) coronary stenosis on QCA and hemodynamically relevant (&lt;0.8) stenosis on FFR, p &gt; 0.05 all. Quantitative myocardial ischemia burden was larger in elderly patients (15% ± 17% vs. 9% ± 13%) with similarly high diagnostic accuracy of quantitative 3D CMR perfusion in both age groups to predict pathological FFR (AUC ≥75: 0.906; AUC &lt;75: 0.866). Conclusions 3D CMR perfusion is well suited for myocardial ischaemia testing in the elderly patients with similarly high diagnostic accuracy as in younger individuals.