[Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI): Current perspectives]

Early prosthetic valve endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation using St Jude Medical Portico valve

An 87-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a 2-week history of progressively worsening shortness of breath, fever and generalised myalgia. She underwent a transcatheter Portico aortic valve implantation for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis 3 months prior to this presentation. Examination revealed a temperature of 40°C and a systolic murmur in the aortic area. Inflammatory markers were elevated, and blood cultures were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus A possible diagnosis of infective endocarditis was made as one major and one minor criterion in the modified Duke criteria were fulfilled. Subsequent transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) demonstrated vegetation attached to the prosthetic valve stent frame at the level of the left ventricular outflow tract. She was started on a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics, and follow-up TOE, 4 weeks later, confirmed resolution of the vegetation. She was discharged home after prolonged hospital stay.

[Heart valve disesases : How sufficient is the knowledge of the German population?]

To evaluate the awareness and knowledge of the German population regarding diseases in general, a survey of 1446 people aged 60 years or older was conducted in 14 German towns. The focus was on heart valve diseases with special emphasis on aortic valve stenosis (AS). While cancer was the disease that respondents were most concerned about (25.2%), only 3.3% were concerned about heart valve diseases. In this respect, the knowledge was broadly limited: only 7.4% of participants claimed to have some familiarity with heart valve diseases and only 12.5% could correctly describe the symptoms of AS. Even so, 35.0% of the participants could correctly name the number of human heart valves, 71.6% knew at least one therapy option for AS and 30.6% were familiar with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). After providing a brief clarification of the prevalence, symptoms and course of AS, 45.6% of respondents were more concerned about the condition, 15.7% wanted to know more about the symptoms of AS and 4.7% even recognized the typical symptoms in themselves. Most of the participants would like to seek more information preferably in discussion with a specialist physician (77.2%), with their general practitioner (43.2%) or using the internet (29.7%). Despite its high prevalence, high morbidity and mortality, the vast majority of the German population were neither concerned nor fully aware of treatment options for AS. There is a strong case for public awareness campaigns that provide better knowledge of AS, and support check-ups that enable timely treatment and the avoidance of unnecessary hospitalization and death.

Pacemaker implantation after TAVI: predictors of AV block persistence

AIMS

Approximately every fifth patient undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) requires a permanent pacemaker (PPM) after the procedure. The aim of this study was to analyse predictors of atrioventricular block III° (AVBIII) persistence with concurrent PPM dependency after TAVI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Between 2010 and 2015 a total of 1198 patients underwent TAVI at the Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Germany. After exclusion of patients with prior PPM (n = 173) 14.7% (n = 176) of the patients underwent PPM implantation after the procedure. Independent predictors of PPM implantation were pre-existing right bundle branch block (RBBB, p < 0.001) and implantation of a CoreValve prosthesis (p < 0.001). A subgroup of patients with a newly implanted PPM (n = 102) were followed-up for a median of 73 (IQR 62-85) days. The leading indication for PPM implantation was AVBIII in 74.5% (76/102). Of these patients only 22.4% (17/76) had persistent AVBIII at follow-up. Predictors of AVBIII persistence were prior RBBB (p = 0.04), postdilatation (p = 0.006) and higher mean aortic valve gradient prior to implantation (p = 0.013). PPMs were implanted earlier in patients with persisting AVBIII [1 day (IQR0-2.5) vs. 4 days (IQR2-7); p < 0.001]. Early PPM implantation after TAVI was the only independent predictor of persistent AVBIII [OR 1.36 (95% 1.05-1.75); p = 0.02].

CONCLUSION

The long-term persistence of AVBIII is generally low after TAVI. Therefore, it may be wise to postpone the indication for PPM implantation for a couple of days. The only predictors of a lack of recovery of the AVB are prior RBBB, higher mean aortic valve gradients and postdilatation of the prosthesis.

Trends in aortic valve replacement in Germany in 2015: transcatheter versus isolated surgical aortic valve repair

AIMS

We analysed the number of procedures, indications, and in-hospital mortality rates of all patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) or transvascular (TV-) and transapical (TA-) transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) from 2012 to 2015 in Germany.

METHODS AND RESULTS

More than 31,000 aortic valve procedures were performed in 2015 in Germany, representing a total increase of 4.5% over 2014. TV-TAVI accounts for 13,108 of these procedures, with an increase of 21%, whereas the numbers of isolated sAVR and TA-TAVI decreased slightly. Age, frailty, high risk, and patients' choice were the main reasons for a catheter-based intervention. In 2015, the in-hospital mortality rate after TV-TAVI decreased to 3.4%, approaching that of sAVR (2.9%), despite a considerably higher baseline risk. A stratified analysis according to the German aortic valve (AKL) score demonstrated a further decrease of the in-hospital mortality for TV-TAVI, showing a lower in-hospital mortality rate than expected in all risk groups. Importantly, this also accounts for the lowest risk group with an AKL score <3% showing an in-hospital mortality rate of 1.7%, which is now comparable to that of sAVR (1.5%). In all other risk groups, the in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing TV-TAVI was lower than in patients undergoing sAVR.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality after TV-TAVI keeps decreasing over the last years and equals that of SAVR in the lowest risk cohort in the meanwhile. All TV-TAVI patients have significantly lower observed than expected mortality, which will further lead to a redefinition of standard of care.

Temporal trends in transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement : An analysis of aortic valve replacements in Germany during 2012-2014

This analysis of the data of the obligatory quality assurance programme AQUA shows the perioperative risk as well as the procedural outcome evaluated by the observed versus expected in-hospital mortality ratio (O/E ratio) of 62,872 patients undergoing isolated surgical (sAVR), transcatheter transvascular (TV-), or transapical (TA-) aortic valve replacement (TAVI) from 2012 to 2014 in Germany. The number of TAVI procedures increased from 9,352 in 2012 to 13,278 in 2014, whereas the number of sAVR remained constant (2012: 9,949; 2014: 9,953). Between 2012 and 2014, the number of TAVI implanted in patients with a logistic EuroScore I (logESI) of ≤10 % (2012: 21 %; 2014: 26 %) as well as with a logESI <20 % (2012: 57 %; 2014: 64 %) increased. In-hospital mortality in TAVI patients decreased from 5.2 % (TV: 5.0 %; TA: 7.4 %) in 2012 to 4.2 % (TV: 3.8 %; TA: 5.5 %) in 2014, whereas it was stable for sAVR patients (2012: 2.8 %; 2014: 2.6 %). The O/E ratio of TAVI patients decreased from 0.91 (TV: 0.79; TA: 1.2) to 0.73 (TV: 0.69; TA: 0.89), whereas this ratio remained constant for sAVR patients (2012: 0.92; 2014: 0.93). In summary, estimated surgical risk, in-hospital mortality, as well as the O/E ratio for patients undergoing TAVI declined constantly during the last 3 years.

New antimicrobial activity for the catecholamine release-inhibitory peptide from chromogranin A

Catestatin (bCGA(344-364)), an endogenous peptide of bovine chromogranin A, was initially characterized for its effect on the inhibition of catecholamine release from chromaffin cells. Catestatin and its active domain (bCGA(344-358)) were identified in chromaffin cells and in secretion medium. The present study identified a potent antimicrobial activity of bCGA(344-358) in the lowmicromolar range against bacteria, fungi and yeasts, without showing any haemolytic activity. Confocal laser microscopy demonstrated penetration of the rhodaminated peptide into the cell membranes of fungi and yeasts and its intracellular accumulation. Time-lapse videomicroscopy showed arrest of fungal growth upon penetration of the labelled peptide into a fungal filament. We identified several catestatin-containing fragments in the stimulated secretion medium of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils, suggesting the N-terminal sequence of catestatin (bCGA(344-358)) (named cateslytin) as a novel component of innate immunity.