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Regional conduction velocities determined by noninvasive mapping are associated with arrhythmia-free survival after atrial fibrillation ablation. Heart Rhythm 2024:S1547-5271(24)02390-7. [PMID: 38636930 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2024.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrial arrhythmogenic substrate is a key determinant of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and reduced conduction velocities have been linked to adverse outcome. However, a noninvasive method to assess such electrophysiologic substrate is not available to date. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to noninvasively assess regional conduction velocities and their association with arrhythmia-free survival after PVI. METHODS A consecutive 52 patients scheduled for AF ablation (PVI only) and 19 healthy controls were prospectively included and received electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) to noninvasively determine regional atrial conduction velocities in sinus rhythm. A novel ECGi technology obviating the need of additional computed tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was applied and validated by invasive mapping. RESULTS Mean ECGi-determined atrial conduction velocities were significantly lower in AF patients than in healthy controls (1.45 ± 0.15 m/s vs 1.64 ± 0.15 m/s; P < .0001). Differences were particularly pronounced in a regional analysis considering only the segment with the lowest average conduction velocity in each patient (0.8 ± 0.22 m/s vs 1.08 ± 0.26 m/s; P < .0001). This average conduction velocity of the "slowest" segment was independently associated with arrhythmia recurrence and better discriminated between PVI responders and nonresponders than previously proposed predictors, including left atrial size and late gadolinium enhancement (magnetic resonance imaging). Patients without slow-conduction areas (mean conduction velocity <0.78 m/s) showed significantly higher 12-month arrhythmia-free survival than those with 1 or more slow-conduction areas (88.9% vs 48.0%; P = .002). CONCLUSION This is the first study to investigate regional atrial conduction velocities noninvasively. The absence of ECGi-determined slow-conduction areas well discriminates PVI responders from nonresponders. Such noninvasive assessment of electrical arrhythmogenic substrate may guide treatment strategies and be a step toward personalized AF therapy.
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Non-invasive estimation of atrial fibrillation driver position using long-short term memory neural networks and body surface potentials. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 246:108052. [PMID: 38350188 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2024.108052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia that can lead to thromboembolism, hearlt failure, ischemic stroke, and a decreased quality of life. Characterizing the locations where the mechanisms of AF are initialized and maintained is key to accomplishing an effective ablation of the targets, hence restoring sinus rhythm. Many methods have been investigated to locate such targets in a non-invasive way, such as Electrocardiographic Imaging, which enables an on-invasive and panoramic characterization of cardiac electrical activity using recording Body Surface Potentials (BSP) and a torso model of the patient. Nonetheless, this technique entails some major issues stemming from solving the inverse problem, which is known to be severely ill-posed. In this context, many machine learning and deep learning approaches aim to tackle the characterization and classification of AF targets to improve AF diagnosis and treatment. METHODS In this work, we propose a method to locate AF drivers as a supervised classification problem. We employed a hybrid form of the convolutional-recurrent network which enables feature extraction and sequential data modeling utilizing labeled realistic computerized AF models. Thus, we used 16 AF electrograms, 1 atrium, and 10 torso geometries to compute the forward problem. Previously, the AF models were labeled by assigning each sample of the signals a region from the atria from 0 (no driver) to 7, according to the spatial location of the AF driver. The resulting 160 BSP signals, which resemble a 64-lead vest recording, are preprocessed and then introduced into the network following a 4-fold cross-validation in batches of 50 samples. RESULTS The results show a mean accuracy of 74.75% among the 4 folds, with a better performance in detecting sinus rhythm, and drivers near the left superior pulmonary vein (R1), and right superior pulmonary vein (R3) whose mean sensitivity bounds around 84%-87%. Significantly good results are obtained in mean sensitivity (87%) and specificity (83%) in R1. CONCLUSIONS Good results in R1 are highly convenient since AF drivers are commonly found in this area: the left atrial appendage, as suggested in some previous studies. These promising results indicate that using CNN-LSTM networks could lead to new strategies exploiting temporal correlations to address this challenge effectively.
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Modeling Cardiotoxicity in Pediatric Oncology Patients Using Patient-Specific iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes Reveals Downregulation of Cardioprotective microRNAs. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1378. [PMID: 37507917 PMCID: PMC10376252 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthracyclines are widely used in the treatment of many solid cancers, but their efficacy is limited by cardiotoxicity. As the number of pediatric cancer survivors continues to rise, there has been a concomitant increase in people living with anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for new models to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of anthracycline-induced cardiac damage. Here we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from two pediatric oncology patients with acute cardiotoxicity induced by anthracyclines and differentiated them to ventricular cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Comparative analysis of these cells (CTX hiPSC-CMs) and control hiPSC-CMs revealed that the former were significantly more sensitive to cell injury and death from the anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX), as measured by viability analysis, cleaved caspase 3 expression, oxidative stress, genomic and mitochondrial damage and sarcomeric disorganization. The expression of several mRNAs involved in structural integrity and inflammatory response were also differentially affected by DOX. Functionally, optical mapping analysis revealed higher arrythmia complexity after DOX treatment in CTX iPSC-CMs. Finally, using a panel of previously identified microRNAs associated with cardioprotection, we identified lower levels of miR-22-3p, miR-30b-5p, miR-90b-3p and miR-4732-3p in CTX iPSC-CMs under basal conditions. Our study provides valuable phenotype information for cellular models of cardiotoxicity and highlights the significance of using patient-derived cardiomyocytes for studying the associated pathogenic mechanisms.
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Electrocardiographic imaging in the atria. Med Biol Eng Comput 2023; 61:879-896. [PMID: 36370321 PMCID: PMC9988819 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-022-02709-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The inverse problem of electrocardiography or electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) is a technique for reconstructing electrical information about cardiac surfaces from noninvasive or non-contact recordings. ECGI has been used to characterize atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Although it is a technology with years of progress, its development to characterize atrial arrhythmias is challenging. Complications can arise when trying to describe the atrial mechanisms that lead to abnormal propagation patterns, premature or tachycardic beats, and reentrant arrhythmias. This review addresses the various ECGI methodologies, regularization methods, and post-processing techniques used in the atria, as well as the context in which they are used. The current advantages and limitations of ECGI in the fields of research and clinical diagnosis of atrial arrhythmias are outlined. In addition, areas where ECGI efforts should be concentrated to address the associated unsatisfied needs from the atrial perspective are discussed.
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Filtering strategies of electrocardiographic imaging signals for stratification of atrial fibrillation patients. Biomed Signal Process Control 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2022.104438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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AF driver detection in pulmonary vein area by electropcardiographic imaging: Relation with a favorable outcome of pulmonary vein isolation. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1057700. [PMID: 36793415 PMCID: PMC9922892 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1057700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the most successful treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) nowadays. However, not all AF patients benefit from PVI. In this study, we evaluate the use of ECGI to identify reentries and relate rotor density in the pulmonary vein (PV) area as an indicator of PVI outcome. Rotor maps were computed in a set of 29 AF patients using a new rotor detection algorithm. The relationship between the distribution of reentrant activity and the clinical outcome after PVI was studied. The number of rotors and proportion of PSs in different atrial regions were computed and compared retrospectively in two groups of patients: patients that remained in sinus rhythm 6 months after PVI and patients with arrhythmia recurrence. The total number of rotors obtained was higher in patients returning to arrhythmia after the ablation (4.31 ± 2.77 vs. 3.58 ± 2.67%, p = 0.018). However, a significantly higher concentration of PSs in the pulmonary veins was found in patients that remained in sinus rhythm (10.20 ± 12.40% vs. 5.19 ± 9.13%, p = 0.011) 6 months after PVI. The results obtained show a direct relationship between the expected AF mechanism and the electrophysiological parameters provided by ECGI, suggesting that this technology offers relevant information to predict the clinical outcome after PVI in AF patients.
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Effects of torso mesh density and electrode distribution on the accuracy of electrocardiographic imaging during atrial fibrillation. Front Physiol 2022; 13:908364. [PMID: 36105286 PMCID: PMC9465032 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.908364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI) allows computing the electrical activity in the heart non-invasively using geometrical information of the patient and multiple body surface signals. In the present study we investigate the influence of the number of nodes of geometrical meshes and recording ECG electrodes distribution to compute ECGI during atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Torso meshes from 100 to 2000 nodes heterogeneously and homogeneously distributed were compared. Signals from nine AF realistic mathematical simulations were used for computing the ECGI. Results for each torso mesh were compared with the ECGI computed with a 4,000 nodes reference torso. In addition, real AF recordings from 25 AF patients were used to compute ECGI in torso meshes from 100 to 1,000 nodes. Results were compared with a reference torso of 2000 nodes. Torsos were remeshed either by reducing the number of nodes while maximizing the overall shape preservation and then assigning the location of the electrodes as the closest node in the new mesh or by forcing the remesher to place a node at each electrode location. Correlation coefficients, relative difference measurements and relative difference of dominant frequencies were computed to evaluate the impact on signal morphology of each torso mesh. Results: For remeshed torsos where electrodes match with a geometrical node in the mesh, all mesh densities presented similar results. On the other hand, in torsos with electrodes assigned to closest nodes in remeshed geometries performance metrics were dependent on mesh densities, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.53 ± 0.06 to 0.92 ± 0.04 in simulations or from 0.42 ± 0.38 to 0.89 ± 0.2 in patients. Dominant frequency relative errors showed the same trend with values from 1.14 ± 0.26 to 0.55 ± 0.21 Hz in simulations and from 0.91 ± 0.56 to 0.45 ± 0.41 Hz in patients. Conclusion: The effect of mesh density in ECGI is minimal when the location of the electrode is preserved as a node in the mesh. Torso meshes constructed without imposing electrodes to constitute nodes in the torso geometry should contain at least 400 nodes homogeneously distributed so that a distance between nodes is below 4 cm.
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Prediction of ablation success in atrial fibrillation patients based on electrocardiographic imaging. Europace 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/europace/euac053.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (supported by FEDER Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional PI17/01106), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (RYC2018-024346B-750 and PID2020-119364RB-100), Generalitat Valenciana Grants (ACIF/2020/265) and EIT Health (Activity code 19600), EIT Health is supported by EIT, a body of the European Union).
Introduction
Success rates of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) are still suboptimal for termination of Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) could be used to determine the state of the atrial substrate non-invasively.
Objective
Improve the current stratification protocol for AF patients candidates to PVI using ECGI metrics prior to the referral to an ablation procedure.
Methods
ECGI from 35 AF patients (22 male, 10 paroxysmal, 63.3 ± 9.5 years) were recorded prior to PVI plus rotor ablation. Patients were latter classified based on their 6 months follow-up (23 sinus rhythm vs. 12 arrhythmia recurrence). ECGI dominant frequencies (DF) and rotor metrics were calculated in each patient, together with their temporal variability. Multivariate logistic regression was computed on the metrics, their variability and AF type to study the prediction power on ablation outcome.
Results
Dominant frequency metrics present higher values in patients with arrhythmia recurrence after the ablation. Rotor metrics showed higher variability in patients with bad PVI outcome (Table 1). ECGI metrics alone allow better outcome prediction (Fig. 1) than standard AF classification (AUC = 0.85 vs. 0.65). ECGI metrics combined with the type of AF increased outcome prediction, AUC = 0.88.
Conclusion
Patients with poor ablation outcome presented higher DFs and reentrant activity variability than patients with good PVI outcome. ECGI derived metrics in combination with AF classification increase PVI follow-up prediction compared to traditional patient stratification showing potential to be an alternative to the standard of care.
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Non-invasive Estimation of Atrial Fibrillation Driver Position With Convolutional Neural Networks and Body Surface Potentials. Front Physiol 2021; 12:733449. [PMID: 34721065 PMCID: PMC8552066 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.733449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by complex and irregular propagation patterns, and AF onset locations and drivers responsible for its perpetuation are the main targets for ablation procedures. ECG imaging (ECGI) has been demonstrated as a promising tool to identify AF drivers and guide ablation procedures, being able to reconstruct the electrophysiological activity on the heart surface by using a non-invasive recording of body surface potentials (BSP). However, the inverse problem of ECGI is ill-posed, and it requires accurate mathematical modeling of both atria and torso, mainly from CT or MR images. Several deep learning-based methods have been proposed to detect AF, but most of the AF-based studies do not include the estimation of ablation targets. In this study, we propose to model the location of AF drivers from BSP as a supervised classification problem using convolutional neural networks (CNN). Accuracy in the test set ranged between 0.75 (SNR = 5 dB) and 0.93 (SNR = 20 dB upward) when assuming time independence, but it worsened to 0.52 or lower when dividing AF models into blocks. Therefore, CNN could be a robust method that could help to non-invasively identify target regions for ablation in AF by using body surface potential mapping, avoiding the use of ECGI.
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Higher reproducibility of phase derived metrics from electrocardiographic imaging during atrial fibrillation in patients remaining in sinus rhythm after pulmonary vein isolation. Comput Biol Med 2021; 139:104934. [PMID: 34688171 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) allows evaluating the complexity of the reentrant activity of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. In this study, we evaluated the ability of ECGI metrics to predict the success of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) to treat AF. METHODS ECGI of 24 AF patients (6 males, 13 paroxysmal, 61.8 ± 14 years) was recorded prior to PVI. Patients were distributed into two groups based on their PVI outcome 6 months after ablation (sinus vs. arrhythmia recurrence). Metrics derived from phase analysis of ECGI signals were computed for two different temporal segments before ablation. Correlation analysis and variability over time were studied between the two recorded segments and were compared between patient groups. RESULTS Temporal variability of both rotor duration and spatial entropy of the rotor histogram presented statistical differences between groups with different PVI outcome (p < 0.05). The reproducibility of reentrant metrics was higher (R2 > 0.8) in patients with good outcome rather than arrhythmia recurrence patients (R2 < 0.62). Prediction of PVI success based on ECGI temporal variability metrics allows for an increased specificity over the classification into paroxysmal or persistent (0.85 vs. 0.64). CONCLUSIONS Patients with favorable PVI outcome present ECGI metrics more reproducible over time than patients with AF recurrence. These results suggest that ECGI derived metrics may allow selecting which patients would benefit from ablation therapies.
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Analysis of the response of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte tissue to I CaL block. A combined in vitro and in silico approach. Comput Biol Med 2021; 137:104796. [PMID: 34461502 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The high incidence of cardiac arrythmias underlines the need for the assessment of pharmacological therapies. In this field of drug efficacy, as in the field of drug safety highlighted by the Comprehensive in Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay initiative, new pillars for research have become crucial: firstly, the integration of in-silico experiments, and secondly the evaluation of fully integrated biological systems, such as human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). In this study, we therefore aimed to combine in-vitro experiments and in-silico simulations to evaluate the antiarrhythmic effect of L-type calcium current (ICaL) block in hiPSC-CMs. For this, hiPSC-CM preparations were cultured and an equivalent virtual tissue was modeled. Re-entry patterns of electrical activation were induced and several biomarkers were obtained before and after ICaL block. The virtual hiPSC-CM simulations were also reproduced using a tissue composed of adult ventricular cardiomyocytes (hAdultV-CMs). The analysis of phases, currents and safety factor for propagation showed an increased size of the re-entry core when ICaL was blocked as a result of depressed cellular excitability. The bigger wavefront curvature yielded reductions of 12.2%, 6.9%, and 4.2% in the frequency of the re-entry for hiPSC-CM cultures, virtual hiPSC-CM, and hAdultV-CM tissues, respectively. Furthermore, ICaL block led to a 47.8% shortening of the vulnerable window for re-entry in the virtual hiPSC-CM tissue and to re-entry vanishment in hAdultV-CM tissue. The consistent behavior between in-vitro and in-silico hiPSC-CMs and between in-silico hiPSC-CMs and hAdultV-CMs evidences that virtual hiPSC-CM tissues are suitable for assessing cardiac efficacy, as done in the present study through the analysis of ICaL block.
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Electrocardiographic Imaging for Atrial Fibrillation: A Perspective From Computer Models and Animal Experiments to Clinical Value. Front Physiol 2021; 12:653013. [PMID: 33995122 PMCID: PMC8120164 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.653013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) is a technique to reconstruct non-invasively the electrical activity on the heart surface from body-surface potential recordings and geometric information of the torso and the heart. ECGI has shown scientific and clinical value when used to characterize and treat both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Regarding atrial fibrillation (AF), the characterization of the electrical propagation and the underlying substrate favoring AF is inherently more challenging than for ventricular arrhythmias, due to the progressive and heterogeneous nature of the disease and its manifestation, the small volume and wall thickness of the atria, and the relatively large role of microstructural abnormalities in AF. At the same time, ECGI has the advantage over other mapping technologies of allowing a global characterization of atrial electrical activity at every atrial beat and non-invasively. However, since ECGI is time-consuming and costly and the use of electrical mapping to guide AF ablation is still not fully established, the clinical value of ECGI for AF is still under assessment. Nonetheless, AF is known to be the manifestation of a complex interaction between electrical and structural abnormalities and therefore, true electro-anatomical-structural imaging may elucidate important key factors of AF development, progression, and treatment. Therefore, it is paramount to identify which clinical questions could be successfully addressed by ECGI when it comes to AF characterization and treatment, and which questions may be beyond its technical limitations. In this manuscript we review the questions that researchers have tried to address on the use of ECGI for AF characterization and treatment guidance (for example, localization of AF triggers and sustaining mechanisms), and we discuss the technological requirements and validation. We address experimental and clinical results, limitations, and future challenges for fruitful application of ECGI for AF understanding and management. We pay attention to existing techniques and clinical application, to computer models and (animal or human) experiments, to challenges of methodological and clinical validation. The overall objective of the study is to provide a consensus on valuable directions that ECGI research may take to provide future improvements in AF characterization and treatment guidance.
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Reparative cell therapy for the heart: critical internal appraisal of the field in response to recent controversies. ESC Heart Fail 2021; 8:2306-2309. [PMID: 33652498 PMCID: PMC8120359 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept that cell‐based repair of myocardial injury might be possible was introduced almost two decades ago; however, the field of cardiovascular reparative medicine has been criticized as translation to clinically effective approaches has been slow. The recent retraction of a series of papers has further impacted perception of this area of research. As researchers, clinicians, and teachers in this field, we felt it incumbent to critically appraise the current state of cardiac cell repair, determine what can be learned from past mistakes, and formulate best practices for future work. This special communication summarizes an introspective assessment of what has fallen short, how to prevent similar issues, and how the field might best move forward in the service of science and patients.
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Optimized single-point left ventricular pacing leads to improved resynchronization compared with multipoint pacing. PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: PACE 2021; 44:519-527. [PMID: 33538337 DOI: 10.1111/pace.14185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multipoint pacing (MPP) in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) activates the left ventricle from two locations, thereby shortening the QRS duration and enabling better resynchronization; however, compared with conventional CRT, MPP reduces battery longevity. On the other hand, electrocardiogram-based optimization using the fusion-optimized intervals (FOI) method achieves more significant reverse remodeling than nominal CRT programming. Our study aimed to determine whether MPP could attain better resynchronization than single-point pacing (SPP) optimized by FOI. METHODS This prospective study included 32 consecutive patients who successfully received CRT devices with MPP capabilities. After implantation, the QRS duration was measured during intrinsic rhythm and with three pacing configurations: MPP, SPP-FOI, and MPP-FOI. In 14 patients, biventricular activation times (by electrocardiographic imaging, ECGI) were obtained during intrinsic rhythm and for each pacing configuration to validate the findings. Device battery longevity was estimated at the 45-day follow-up. RESULTS The SPP-FOI method achieved greater QRS shortening than MPP (-56 ± 16 vs. -42 ± 17 ms, p < .001). Adding MPP to the best FOI programming did not result in further shortening (MPP-FOI: -58 ± 14 ms, p = .69). Although biventricular activation times did not differ significantly among the three pacing configurations, only the two FOI configurations achieved significant shortening compared with intrinsic rhythm. The estimated battery longevity was longer with SPP than with MPP (8.1 ± 2.3 vs. 6.3 ± 2.0 years, p = .03). CONCLUSIONS SPP optimized by FOI resulted in better resynchronization and longer battery duration than MPP.
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Electrocardiographic imaging including intracardiac information to achieve accurate global mapping during atrial fibrillation. Biomed Signal Process Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2020.102354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Ranolazine-Mediated Attenuation of Mechanoelectric Feedback in Atrial Myocyte Monolayers. Front Physiol 2020; 11:922. [PMID: 32848863 PMCID: PMC7417656 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mechanical stretch increases Na+ inflow into myocytes, related to mechanisms including stretch-activated channels or Na+/H+ exchanger activation, involving Ca2+ increase that leads to changes in electrophysiological properties favoring arrhythmia induction. Ranolazine is an antianginal drug with confirmed beneficial effects against cardiac arrhythmias associated with the augmentation of INaL current and Ca2+ overload. Objective This study investigates the effects of mechanical stretch on activation patterns in atrial cell monolayers and its pharmacological response to ranolazine. Methods Confluent HL-1 cells were cultured in silicone membrane plates and were stretched to 110% of original length. The characteristics of in vitro fibrillation (dominant frequency, regularity index, density of phase singularities, rotor meandering, and rotor curvature) were analyzed using optical mapping in order to study the mechanoelectric response to stretch under control conditions and ranolazine action. Results HL-1 cell stretch increased fibrillatory dominant frequency (3.65 ± 0.69 vs. 4.35 ± 0.74 Hz, p < 0.01) and activation complexity (1.97 ± 0.45 vs. 2.66 ± 0.58 PS/cm2, p < 0.01) under control conditions. These effects were related to stretch-induced changes affecting the reentrant patterns, comprising a decrease in rotor meandering (0.72 ± 0.12 vs. 0.62 ± 0.12 cm/s, p < 0.001) and an increase in wavefront curvature (4.90 ± 0.42 vs. 5.68 ± 0.40 rad/cm, p < 0.001). Ranolazine reduced stretch-induced effects, attenuating the activation rate increment (12.8% vs. 19.7%, p < 0.01) and maintaining activation complexity—both parameters being lower during stretch than under control conditions. Moreover, under baseline conditions, ranolazine slowed and regularized the activation patterns (3.04 ± 0.61 vs. 3.65 ± 0.69 Hz, p < 0.01). Conclusion Ranolazine attenuates the modifications of activation patterns induced by mechanical stretch in atrial myocyte monolayers.
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Clinical Characteristics and Electrophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Brugada ECG in Patients With Severe Hyperkalemia. J Am Heart Assoc 2020; 8:e010115. [PMID: 30675825 PMCID: PMC6405573 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.118.010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Several metabolic conditions can cause the Brugada ECG pattern, also called Brugada phenotype (BrPh). We aimed to define the clinical characteristics and outcome of BrPh patients and elucidate the mechanisms underlying BrPh attributed to hyperkalemia. Methods and Results We prospectively identified patients hospitalized with severe hyperkalemia and ECG diagnosis of BrPh and compared their clinical characteristics and outcome with patients with hyperkalemia but no BrPh ECG. Computer simulations investigated the roles of extracellular potassium increase, fibrosis at the right ventricular outflow tract, and epicardial/endocardial gradients in transient outward current. Over a 6‐year period, 15 patients presented severe hyperkalemia with BrPh ECG that was transient and disappeared after normalization of their serum potassium. Most patients were admitted because of various severe medical conditions causing hyperkalemia. Six (40%) patients presented malignant arrhythmias and 6 died during admission. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that higher serum potassium levels (odds ratio, 15.8; 95% CI, 3.1–79; P=0.001) and male sex (odds ratio, 17; 95% CI, 1.05–286; P=0.045) were risk factors for developing BrPh ECG in patients with severe hyperkalemia. In simulations, hyperkalemia yielded BrPh by promoting delayed and heterogeneous right ventricular outflow tract activation attributed to elevation of resting potential, reduced availability of inward sodium channel conductance, and increased right ventricular outflow tract fibrosis. An elevated transient outward current gradient contributed to, but was not essential for, the BrPh phenotype. Conclusions In patients with severe hyperkalemia, a BrPh ECG is associated with malignant arrhythmias and all‐cause mortality secondary to resting potential depolarization, reduced sodium current availability, and fibrosis at the right ventricular outflow tract.
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Noninvasive Assessment of Complexity of Atrial Fibrillation: Correlation With Contact Mapping and Impact of Ablation. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020; 13:e007700. [PMID: 32078374 DOI: 10.1161/circep.119.007700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is difficult to noninvasively phenotype atrial fibrillation (AF) in a way that reflects clinical end points such as response to therapy. We set out to map electrical patterns of disorganization and regions of reentrant activity in AF from the body surface using electrocardiographic imaging, calibrated to panoramic intracardiac recordings and referenced to AF termination by ablation. METHODS Bi-atrial intracardiac electrograms of 47 patients with AF at ablation (30 persistent, 29 male, 63±9 years) were recorded with 64-pole basket catheters and simultaneous 57-lead body surface ECGs. Atrial epicardial electrical activity was reconstructed and organized sites were invasively and noninvasively tracked in 3-dimension using phase singularity. In a subset of 17 patients, sites of AF organization were targeted for ablation. RESULTS Body surface mapping showed greater AF organization near intracardially detected drivers than elsewhere, both in phase singularity density (2.3±2.1 versus 1.9±1.6; P=0.02) and number of drivers (3.2±2.3 versus 2.7±1.7; P=0.02). Complexity, defined as the number of stable AF reentrant sites, was concordant between noninvasive and invasive methods (r2=0.5; CC=0.71). In the subset receiving targeted ablation, AF complexity showed lower values in those in whom AF terminated than those in whom AF did not terminate (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS AF complexity tracked noninvasively correlates well with organized and disorganized regions detected by panoramic intracardiac mapping and correlates with the acute outcome by ablation. This approach may assist in bedside monitoring of therapy or in improving the efficacy of ongoing ablation procedures.
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Automatic quality electrogram assessment improves phase-based reentrant activity identification in atrial fibrillation. Comput Biol Med 2020; 117:103593. [PMID: 32072974 PMCID: PMC10984645 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.103593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Identification of reentrant activity driving atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly important to ablative therapies. The goal of this work is to study how the automatically-classified quality of the electrograms (EGMs) affects reentrant AF driver localization. EGMs from 259 AF episodes obtained from 29 AF patients were recorded using 64-poles basket catheters and were manually classified according to their quality. An algorithm capable of identifying signal quality was developed using time and spectral domain parameters. Electrical reentries were identified in 3D phase maps using phase transform and were compared with those obtained with a 2D activation-based method. Effect of EGM quality was studied by discarding 3D phase reentries detected in regions with low-quality EGMs. Removal of reentries identified by 3D phase analysis in regions with low-quality EGMs improved its performance, increasing the area under the ROC curve (AUC) from 0.69 to 0.80. The EGMs quality classification algorithm showed an accurate performance for EGM classification (AUC 0.94) and reentry detection (AUC 0.80). Automatic classification of EGM quality based on time and spectral signal parameters is feasible and accurate, avoiding the manual labelling. Discard of reentries identified in regions with automatically-detected poor-quality EGMs improved the specificity of the 3D phase-based method for AF driver identification.
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[#CienciaenelParlamento: the need for a parliamentary office of science and technology advice]. GACETA SANITARIA 2020; 35:293-297. [PMID: 31948599 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the aims of the citizen's initiative #CienciaenelParlamento is helping to establishing a parliamentary office of scientific and technological advice in the Spanish parliament. Said office would be in charge of fostering networking spaces between scientific knowledge and public policies and of triggering public debate between policy-makers, experts and the general public. In this article, we first review the main parliamentary mechanisms of scientific advice, with special attention to one in particular: parliamentary offices of scientific and technological advice. These offices exist in 22 parliaments worldwide, but there are none in Spain. Second, we describe the activity undertaken by #CienciaenelParlamento in its collaboration with the Congress of Deputies during the 12th Spanish Legislature. This collaboration reached its peak with a two-day networking event in November 2018 with over 200 scientists and almost 100 deputies, who all debated twelve topics of social interest and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. Thanks to this collaboration, the Congress has taken the first steps towards officially establishing a parliamentary science advice office. Lastly, we enumerate some examples about how these parliamentary offices in other countries have contributed with other stakeholders to better public debate and processing of public policies in public health and other areas. To conclude, we at #CienciaenelParlamento believe that a parliamentary science advice office would help to enhance the science-policy ecosystem in Spain.
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Abstract
The myocardium consists of numerous cell types embedded in organized layers of ECM (extracellular matrix) and requires an intricate network of blood and lymphatic vessels and nerves to provide nutrients and electrical coupling to the cells. Although much of the focus has been on cardiomyocytes, these cells make up <40% of cells within a healthy adult heart. Therefore, repairing or regenerating cardiac tissue by merely reconstituting cardiomyocytes is a simplistic and ineffective approach. In fact, when an injury occurs, cardiac tissue organization is disrupted at the level of the cells, the tissue architecture, and the coordinated interaction among the cells. Thus, reconstitution of a functional tissue must reestablish electrical and mechanical communication between cardiomyocytes and restore their surrounding environment. It is also essential to restore distinctive myocardial features, such as vascular patency and pump function. In this article, we review the current status, challenges, and future priorities in cardiac regenerative or reparative medicine. In the first part, we provide an overview of our current understanding of heart repair and comment on the main contributors and mechanisms involved in innate regeneration. A brief section is dedicated to the novel concept of rejuvenation or regeneration, which we think may impact future development in the field. The last section describes regenerative therapies, where the most advanced and disruptive strategies used for myocardial repair are discussed. Our recommendations for priority areas in studies of cardiac regeneration or repair are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 .
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Global Overview of the Transnational Alliance for Regenerative Therapies in Cardiovascular Syndromes (TACTICS) Recommendations: A Comprehensive Series of Challenges and Priorities of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine. Circ Res 2019; 122:199-201. [PMID: 29348246 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.117.312099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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General Overview of the 14th International Symposium on Stem Cell Therapy and Cardiovascular Innovations: Working Progress of a Global Initiative in 2017. Circ Res 2019; 121:1040-1043. [PMID: 29025758 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.117.311874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Optical imaging of voltage and calcium in isolated hearts: Linking spatiotemporal heterogeneities and ventricular fibrillation initiation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215951. [PMID: 31086382 PMCID: PMC6516663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternans have been associated with the development of ventricular fibrillation and its control has been proposed as antiarrhythmic strategy. However, cardiac arrhythmias are a spatiotemporal phenomenon in which multiple factors are involved (e.g. calcium and voltage spatial alternans or heterogeneous conduction velocity) and how an antiarrhythmic drug modifies these factors is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study is to evaluate the relation between spatial electrophysiological properties (i.e. spatial discordant alternans and conduction velocity) and the induction of ventricular fibrillation (VF) when a calcium blocker is applied. METHODS The mechanisms of initiation of VF were studied by simultaneous epicardial voltage and calcium optical mapping in isolated rabbit hearts using an incremental fast pacing protocol. The additional value of analyzing spatial phenomena in the generation of unidirectional blocks and reentries as precursors of VF was depicted. Specifically, the role of action potential duration (APD), calcium transients (CaT), spatial alternans and conduction velocity in the initiation of VF was evaluated during basal conditions and after the administration of verapamil. RESULTS Our results enhance the relation between (1) calcium spatial alternans and (2) slow conduction velocities with the dynamic creation of unidirectional blocks that allowed the induction of VF. In fact, the administration of verapamil demonstrated that calcium and not voltage spatial alternans were the main responsible for VF induction. CONCLUSIONS VF induction at high activation rates was linked with the concurrence of a low conduction velocity and high magnitude of calcium alternans, but not necessarily related with increases of APD. Verapamil can postpone the development of cardiac alternans and the apparition of ventricular arrhythmias.
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Phase singularity point tracking for the identification of typical and atypical flutter patients: A clinical-computational study. Comput Biol Med 2018; 104:319-328. [PMID: 30558815 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2018.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Atrial Flutter (AFL) termination by ablating the path responsible for the arrhythmia maintenance is an extended practice. However, the difficulty associated with the identification of the circuit in the case of atypical AFL motivates the development of diagnostic techniques. We propose body surface phase map analysis as a noninvasive tool to identify AFL circuits. Sixty seven lead body surface recordings were acquired in 9 patients during AFL (i.e. 3 typical, 6 atypical). Computed body surface phase maps from simulations of 5 reentrant behaviors in a realistic atrial structure were also used. Surface representation of the macro-reentrant activity was analyzed by tracking the singularity points (SPs) in surface phase maps obtained from band-pass filtered body surface potential maps. Spatial distribution of SPs showed significant differences between typical and atypical AFL. Whereas for typical AFL patients 70.78 ± 16.17% of the maps presented two SPs simultaneously in the areas defined around the midaxialliary lines, this condition was only satisfied in 5.15 ± 10.99% (p < 0.05) maps corresponding to atypical AFL patients. Simulations confirmed these results. Surface phase maps highlights the reentrant mechanism maintaining the arrhythmia and appear as a promising tool for the noninvasive characterization of the circuit maintaining AFL. The potential of the technique as a diagnosis tool needs to be evaluated in larger populations and, if it is confirmed, may help in planning ablation procedures.
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P499The role of fibroblast-myocyte electrotonic coupling in the formation of unidirectional blocks. Cardiovasc Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvy060.356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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P525Ranolazine attenuates stretch-induced modifications of the electrical characteristics of atrial fibrillation in HL-1 cells. Cardiovasc Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvy060.382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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P503Inter-subject variability explains juxtaposed effects in pharmacological treatments: an in-silico approach for the personalization of atrial fibrillation drug treatments. Cardiovasc Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvy060.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Solving Inaccuracies in Anatomical Models for Electrocardiographic Inverse Problem Resolution by Maximizing Reconstruction Quality. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2018; 37:733-740. [PMID: 28541896 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2017.2707413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Electrocardiographic Imaging has become an increasingly used technique for non-invasive diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias, although the need for medical imaging technology to determine the anatomy hinders its introduction in the clinical practice. This paper explores the ability of a new metric based on the inverse reconstruction quality for the location and orientation of the atrial surface inside the torso. Body surface electrical signals from 31 realistic mathematical models and four AF patients were used to estimate the optimal position of the atria inside the torso. The curvature of the L-curve from the Tikhonov method, which was found to be related to the inverse reconstruction quality, was measured after application of deviations in atrial position and orientation. Independent deviations in the atrial position were solved by finding the maximal L-curve curvature with an error of 1.7 ± 2.4 mm in mathematical models and 9.1 ± 11.5 mm in patients. For the case of independent angular deviations, the error in location by using the L-curve was 5.8±7.1° in mathematical models and 12.4° ± 13.2° in patients. The ability of the L-curve curvature was tested also under superimposed uncertainties in the three axis of translation and in the three axis of rotation, and the error in location was of 2.3 ± 3.2 mm and 6.4° ± 7.1° in mathematical models, and 7.9±10.7 mm and 12.1°±15.5° in patients. The curvature of L-curve is a useful marker for the atrial position and would allow emending the inaccuracies in its location.
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P847Comparison of driver location by simultaneous body-surface and endocardial basket mapping of human atrial fibrillation. Europace 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/europace/euy015.450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Technical Considerations on Phase Mapping for Identification of Atrial Reentrant Activity in Direct- and Inverse-Computed Electrograms. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2017; 10:CIRCEP.117.005008. [PMID: 28887361 DOI: 10.1161/circep.117.005008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phase mapping has become a broadly used technique to identify atrial reentrant circuits for ablative therapy guidance. This work studies the phase mapping process and how the signal nature and its filtering affect the reentrant pattern characterization in electrogram (EGM), body surface potential mapping, and electrocardiographic imaging signals. METHODS AND RESULTS EGM, body surface potential mapping, and electrocardiographic imaging phase maps were obtained from 17 simulations of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and focal atrial tachycardia. Reentrant activity was identified by singularity point recognition in raw signals and in signals after narrow band-pass filtering at the highest dominant frequency (HDF). Reentrant activity was dominantly present in the EGM recordings only for atrial fibrillation and some atrial flutter propagations patterns, and HDF filtering allowed increasing the reentrant activity detection from 60% to 70% of time in atrial fibrillation in unipolar recordings and from 0% to 62% in bipolar. In body surface potential mapping maps, HDF filtering increased from 10% to 90% the sensitivity, although provoked a residual false reentrant activity ≈30% of time. In electrocardiographic imaging, HDF filtering allowed to increase ≤100% the time with detected rotors, although provoked the apparition of false rotors during 100% of time. Nevertheless, raw electrocardiographic imaging phase maps presented reentrant activity just in atrial fibrillation recordings accounting for ≈80% of time. CONCLUSIONS Rotor identification is accurate and sensitive and does not require additional signal processing in measured or noninvasively computed unipolar EGMs. Bipolar EGMs and body surface potential mapping do require HDF filtering to detect rotors at the expense of a decreased specificity.
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Global position paper on cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Eur Heart J 2017; 38:2532-2546. [PMID: 28575280 PMCID: PMC5837698 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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Minimal configuration of body surface potential mapping for discrimination of left versus right dominant frequencies during atrial fibrillation. PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: PACE 2017; 40:940-946. [PMID: 28586103 DOI: 10.1111/pace.13133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ablation of drivers maintaining atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated as an effective therapy. Drivers in the form of rapidly activated atrial regions can be noninvasively localized to either left or right atria (LA, RA) with body surface potential mapping (BSPM) systems. This study quantifies the accuracy of dominant frequency (DF) measurements from reduced-leads BSPM systems and assesses the minimal configuration required for ablation guidance. METHODS Nine uniformly distributed lead sets of eight to 66 electrodes were evaluated. BSPM signals were registered simultaneously with intracardiac electrocardiograms (EGMs) in 16 AF patients. DF activity was analyzed on the surface potentials for the nine leads configurations, and the noninvasive measures were compared with the EGM recordings. RESULTS Surface DF measurements presented similar values than panoramic invasive EGM recordings, showing the highest DF regions in corresponding locations. The noninvasive DFs measures had a high correlation with the invasive discrete recordings; they presented a deviation of <0.5 Hz for the highest DF and a correlation coefficient of >0.8 for leads configurations with 12 or more electrodes. CONCLUSIONS Reduced-leads BSPM systems enable noninvasive discrimination between LA versus RA DFs with similar results as higher-resolution 66-leads system. Our findings demonstrate the possible incorporation of simplified BSPM systems into clinical planning procedures for AF ablation.
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Highest dominant frequency and rotor positions are robust markers of driver location during noninvasive mapping of atrial fibrillation: A computational study. Heart Rhythm 2017; 14:1224-1233. [PMID: 28408329 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2017.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dominant frequency (DF) and rotor mapping have been proposed as noninvasive techniques to guide localization of drivers maintaining atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the robustness of both techniques in identifying atrial drivers noninvasively under the effect of electrical noise or model uncertainties. METHODS Inverse-computed DFs and phase maps were obtained from 30 different mathematical AF simulations. Epicardial highest dominant frequency (HDF) regions and rotor location were compared with the same inverse-computed measurements after addition of noise to the ECG, size variations of the atria, and linear or angular deviations in the atrial location inside the thorax. RESULTS Inverse-computed electrograms (EGMs) individually correlated poorly with the original EGMs in the absence of induced uncertainties (0.45 ± 0.12) and were worse with 10-dB noise (0.22 ± 0.11), 3-cm displacement (0.01 ± 0.02), or 36° rotation (0.02 ± 0.03). However, inverse-computed HDF regions showed robustness against induced uncertainties: from 82% ± 18% match for the best conditions, down to 73% ± 23% for 10-dB noise, 77% ± 21% for 5-cm displacement, and 60% ± 22% for 36° rotation. The distance from the inverse-computed rotor to the original rotor was also affected by uncertainties: 0.8 ± 1.61 cm for the best conditions, 2.4 ± 3.6 cm for 10-dB noise, 4.3 ± 3.2 cm for 4-cm displacement, and 4.0 ± 2.1 cm for 36° rotation. Restriction of rotor detections to the HDF area increased rotor detection accuracy from 4.5 ± 4.5 cm to 3.2 ± 3.1 cm (P <.05) with 0-dB noise. CONCLUSION The combination of frequency and phase-derived measurements increases the accuracy of noninvasive localization of atrial rotors driving AF in the presence of noise and uncertainties in atrial location or size.
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Reply to the Editor-On misuse of null hypothesis testing: Analysis of biophysical model simulations. Heart Rhythm 2016; 14:e50-e51. [PMID: 27989683 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Corrigendum: Regularization Techniques for ECG Imaging during Atrial Fibrillation: A Computational Study. Front Physiol 2016; 7:556. [PMID: 27877139 PMCID: PMC5112361 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Regularization Techniques for ECG Imaging during Atrial Fibrillation: A Computational Study. Front Physiol 2016; 7:466. [PMID: 27790158 PMCID: PMC5064166 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inverse problem of electrocardiography is usually analyzed during stationary rhythms. However, the performance of the regularization methods under fibrillatory conditions has not been fully studied. In this work, we assessed different regularization techniques during atrial fibrillation (AF) for estimating four target parameters, namely, epicardial potentials, dominant frequency (DF), phase maps, and singularity point (SP) location. We use a realistic mathematical model of atria and torso anatomy with three different electrical activity patterns (i.e., sinus rhythm, simple AF, and complex AF). Body surface potentials (BSP) were simulated using Boundary Element Method and corrupted with white Gaussian noise of different powers. Noisy BSPs were used to obtain the epicardial potentials on the atrial surface, using 14 different regularization techniques. DF, phase maps, and SP location were computed from estimated epicardial potentials. Inverse solutions were evaluated using a set of performance metrics adapted to each clinical target. For the case of SP location, an assessment methodology based on the spatial mass function of the SP location, and four spatial error metrics was proposed. The role of the regularization parameter for Tikhonov-based methods, and the effect of noise level and imperfections in the knowledge of the transfer matrix were also addressed. Results showed that the Bayes maximum-a-posteriori method clearly outperforms the rest of the techniques but requires a priori information about the epicardial potentials. Among the purely non-invasive techniques, Tikhonov-based methods performed as well as more complex techniques in realistic fibrillatory conditions, with a slight gain between 0.02 and 0.2 in terms of the correlation coefficient. Also, the use of a constant regularization parameter may be advisable since the performance was similar to that obtained with a variable parameter (indeed there was no difference for the zero-order Tikhonov method in complex fibrillatory conditions). Regarding the different targets, DF and SP location estimation were more robust with respect to pattern complexity and noise, and most algorithms provided a reasonable estimation of these parameters, even when the epicardial potentials estimation was inaccurate. Finally, the proposed evaluation procedure and metrics represent a suitable framework for techniques benchmarking and provide useful insights for the clinical practice.
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Balance between sodium and calcium currents underlying chronic atrial fibrillation termination: An in silico intersubject variability study. Heart Rhythm 2016; 13:2358-2365. [PMID: 27569443 PMCID: PMC5221730 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2016.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrial remodeling as a result of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) induces substrate modifications that lead to different perpetuation mechanisms than in paroxysmal AF and a reduction in the efficacy of antiarrhythmic treatments. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify the ionic current modifications that could destabilize reentries during chronic AF and serve to personalize antiarrhythmic strategies. METHODS A population of 173 mathematical models of remodeled human atrial tissue with realistic intersubject variability was developed based on action potential recordings of 149 patients diagnosed with AF. The relationship of each ionic current with AF maintenance and the dynamics of functional reentries (rotor meandering, dominant frequency) were evaluated by means of 3-dimensional simulations. RESULTS Self-sustained reentries were maintained in 126 (73%) of the simulations. AF perpetuation was associated with higher expressions of INa and ICaL (P <.01), with no significant differences in the remaining currents. ICaL blockade promoted AF extinction in 30% of these 126 models. The mechanism of AF termination was related with collisions between rotors because of an increase in rotor meandering (1.71 ± 2.01cm2) and presented an increased efficacy in models with a depressed INa (P <.01). CONCLUSION Mathematical simulations based on a population of models representing intersubject variability allow the identification of ionic mechanisms underlying rotor dynamics and the definition of new personalized pharmacologic strategies. Our results suggest that the underlying mechanism of the diverging success of ICaL block as an antiarrhythmic strategy is dependent on the basal availability of sodium and calcium ion channel conductivities.
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Poster session 1Cell growth, differentiation and stem cells - Heart72Understanding the metabolism of cardiac progenitor cells: a first step towards controlling their proliferation and differentiation?73Expression of pw1/peg3 identifies a new cardiac adult stem cell population involved in post-myocardial infarction remodeling74Long-term stimulation of iPS-derived cardiomyocytes using optogenetic techniques to promote phenotypic changes in E-C coupling75Benefits of electrical stimulation on differentiation and maturation of cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells76Constitutive beta-adrenoceptor-mediated cAMP production controls spontaneous automaticity of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes77Formation and stability of T-tubules in cardiomyocytes78Identification of miRNAs promoting human cardiomyocyte proliferation by regulating Hippo pathway79A direct comparison of foetal to adult epicardial cell activation reveals distinct differences relevant for the post-injury response80Role of neuropilins in zebrafish heart regeneration81Highly efficient immunomagnetic purification of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells82Cardiac progenitor cells posses a molecular circadian clock and display large 24-hour oscillations in proliferation and stress tolerance83Influence of sirolimus and everolimus on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell biology84Endoglin is important for epicardial behaviour following cardiac injuryCell death and apoptosis - Heart87Ultrastructural alterations reflecting Ca2+ handling and cell-to-cell coupling disorders precede occurrence of severe arrhythmias in intact animal heart88Urocortin-1 promotes cardioprotection through ERK1/2 and EPAC pathways: role in apoptosis and necrosis89Expression p38 MAPK and Cas-3 in myocardium LV of rats with experimental heart failure at melatonin and enalapril introductionTranscriptional control and RNA species - Heart92Accumulation of beta-amyloid 1-40 in HF patients: the role of lncRNA BACE1-AS93Role of miR-182 in zebrafish and mouse models of Holt-Oram syndrome94Mir-27 distinctly regulates muscle-enriched transcription factors and growth factors in cardiac and skeletal muscle cells95AF risk factors impair PITX2 expression leading to Wnt-microRNA-ion channel remodelingCytokines and cellular inflammation - Heart98Post-infarct survival depends on the interplay of monocytes, neutrophils and interferon gamma in a mouse model of myocardial Infarction99Inflammatory cd11b/c cells play a protective role in compensated cardiac hypertrophy by promoting an orai3-related pro-survival signal100Anti-inflammatory effects of endothelin receptor blockade in the atrial tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats101Mesenchymal stromal cells reduce NLRP3 inflammasome activity in Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis102Mesenchymal stromal cells modulate monocytes trafficking in Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis103The impact of regulatory T lymphocytes on long-term mortality in patients with chronic heart failure104Temporal dynamics of dendritic cells after ST-elevation myocardial infarction relate with improvement of myocardial functionGrowth factors and neurohormones - Heart107Preconditioning of hypertrophied heart: miR-1 and IGF-1 crosstalk108Modulation of catecholamine secretion from human adrenal chromaffin cells by manipulation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 activity109Evaluation of cyclic adenosin-3,5- monophosphate and neurohormones in patients with chronic heart failureNitric oxide and reactive oxygen species - Heart112Hydrogen sulfide donor inhibits oxidative and nitrosative stress, cardiohemodynamics disturbances and restores cNOS coupling in old rats113Role and mechanisms of action of aldehydes produced by monoamine oxidase A in cardiomyocyte death and heart failure114Exercise training has contrasting effects in myocardial infarction and pressure-overload due to different endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulation115S-Nitroso Human Serum Albumin dose-dependently leads to vasodilation and alters reactive hyperaemia in coronary arteries of an isolated mouse heart model116Modulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase with folic acid attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy119Effects of long-term very high intensity exercise on aortic structure and function in an animal model120Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy quantification of nitrosylated hemoglobin (HbNO) as an index of vascular nitric oxide bioavailability in vivo121Deletion of repressor activator protein 1 impairs acetylcholine-induced relaxation due to production of reactive oxygen speciesExtracellular matrix and fibrosis - Heart124MicroRNA-19b is associated with myocardial collagen cross-linking in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Potential usefulness as a circulating biomarker125A new ex vivo model to study cardiac fibrosis126Heterogeneity of fibrosis and fibroblast differentiation in the left ventricle after myocardial infarction127Effect of carbohydrate metabolism degree compensation to the level of galectin-3 changes in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure and type 2 diabetes mellitus128Statin paradox in association with calcification of bicuspid aortic valve interstitial cells129Cardiac function remains impaired despite reversible cardiac fibrosis after healed experimental viral myocarditisIon channels, ion exchangers and cellular electrophysiology - Heart132Identifying a novel role for PMCA1 (Atp2b1) in heart rhythm instability133Mutations of the caveolin-3 gene as a predisposing factor for cardiac arrhythmias134The human sinoatrial node action potential: time for a computational model135iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes as a model to dissect ion current alterations of genetic atrial fibrillation136Postextrasystolic potentiation in healthy and diseased hearts: effects of the site of origin and coupling interval of the preceding extrasystole137Absence of Nav1.8-based (late) sodium current in rabbit cardiomyocytes and human iPSC-CMs138hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from Brugada Syndrome patients without identified mutations do not exhibit cellular electrophysiological abnormalitiesMicrocirculation141Atherogenic indices, collagen type IV turnover and the development of microvascular complications- study in diabetics with arterial hypertension142Changes in the microvasculature and blood viscosity in women with rheumatoid arthritis, hypercholesterolemia and hypertensionAtherosclerosis145Shear stress regulates endothelial autophagy: consequences on endothelial senescence and atherogenesis146Obstructive sleep apnea causes aortic remodeling in a chronic murine model147Aortic perivascular adipose tissue displays an aged phenotype in early and late atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice148A systematic evaluation of the cellular innate immune response during the process of human atherosclerosis149Inhibition of Coagulation factor Xa increases plaque stability and attenuates the onset and progression of atherosclerotic plaque in apolipoprotein e-deficient mice150Regulatory CD4+ T cells from patients with atherosclerosis display pro-inflammatory skewing and enhanced suppression function151Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha regulates macrophage energy metabolism by mediating miRNAs152Extracellular S100A4 is a key player of smooth muscle cell phenotypic transition: implications in atherosclerosis153Microparticles of healthy origins improve atherosclerosis-associated endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction via microRNA transfer154Arterial remodeling and metabolism impairment in early atherosclerosis155Role of pannexin1 in atherosclerotic plaque formationCalcium fluxes and excitation-contraction coupling158Amphiphysin II induces tubule formation in cardiac cells159Interleukin 1 beta regulation of connexin 43 in cardiac fibroblasts and the effects of adult cardiac myocyte:fibroblast co-culture on myocyte contraction160T-tubular electrical defects contribute to blunted beta-adrenergic response in heart failure161Beat-to-beat variability of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics of Purkinje cells in the infarct border zone of the mouse heart revealed by rapid-scanning confocal microscopy162The efficacy of late sodium current blockers in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is dependent on genotype: a study on transgenic mouse models with different mutations163Synthesis of cADPR and NAADP by intracellular CD38 in heart: role in inotropic and arrhythmogenic effects of beta-adrenoceptor signalingContractile apparatus166Towards an engineered heart tissue model of HCM using hiPSC expressing the ACTC E99K mutation167Diastolic mechanical load delays structural and functional deterioration of ultrathin adult heart slices in culture168Structural investigation of the cardiac troponin complex by molecular dynamics169Exercise training restores myocardial and oxidative skeletal muscle function from myocardial infarction heart failure ratsOxygen sensing, ischaemia and reperfusion172A novel antibody specific to full-length stromal derived factor-1 alpha reveals that remote conditioning induces its cleavage by endothelial dipeptidyl peptidase 4173Attenuation of myocardial and vascular arginase activity by vagal nerve stimulation via a mechanism involving alpha-7 nicotinic receptor during cardiac ischemia and reperfusion174Novel nanoparticle-mediated medicine for myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury simultaneously targeting mitochondrial injury and myocardial inflammation175Acetylcholine plays a key role in myocardial ischaemic preconditioning via recruitment of intrinsic cardiac ganglia176The role of nitric oxide and VEGFR-2 signaling in post ischemic revascularization and muscle recovery in aged hypercholesterolemic mice177Efficacy of ischemic preconditioning to protect the human myocardium: the role of clinical conditions and treatmentsCardiomyopathies and fibrosis180Plakophilin-2 haploinsufficiency leads to impaired canonical Wnt signaling in ARVC patient181Improved technique for customized, easier, safer and more reliable transverse aortic arch banding and debanding in mice as a model of pressure overload hypertrophy182Late sodium current inhibitors for the treatment of inducible obstruction and diastolic dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a study on human myocardium183Angiotensin II receptor antagonist fimasartan has protective role of left ventricular fibrosis and remodeling in the rat ischemic heart184Role of High-Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) redox state on cardiac fibroblasts activities and heart function after myocardial infarction185Atrial remodeling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: insights from mouse models carrying different mutations in cTnT186Electrophysiological abnormalities in ventricular cardiomyocytes from a Maine Coon cat with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: effects of ranolazine187ZBTB17 is a novel cardiomyopathy candidate gene and regulates autophagy in the heart188Inhibition of SRSF4 in cardiomyocytes induces left ventricular hypertrophy189Molecular characterization of a novel cardiomyopathy related desmin frame shift mutation190Autonomic characterisation of electro-mechanical remodeling in an in-vitro leporine model of heart failure191Modulation of Ca2+-regulatory function by three novel mutations in TNNI3 associated with severe infant restrictive cardiomyopathyAging194The aging impact on cardiac mesenchymal like stromal cells (S+P+)195Reversal of premature aging markers after bariatric surgery196Sex-associated differences in vascular remodeling during aging: role of renin-angiotensin system197Role of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) in age dependent left ventricle dysfunctionsGenetics and epigenetics200hsa-miR-21-5p as a key factor in aortic remodeling during aneurysm formation201Co-inheritance of mutations associated with arrhythmogenic and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in two Italian families202Lamin a/c hot spot codon 190: form various amino acid substitutions to clinical effects203Treatment with aspirin and atorvastatin attenuate cardiac injury induced by rat chest irradiation: Implication of myocardial miR-1, miR-21, connexin-43 and PKCGenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and glycomics206Differential phosphorylation of desmin at serines 27 and 31 drives the accumulation of preamyloid oligomers in heart failure207Potential role of kinase Akt2 in the reduced recovery of type 2 diabetic hearts subjected to ischemia / reperfusion injury208A proteomics comparison of extracellular matrix remodelling in porcine coronary arteries upon stent implantationMetabolism, diabetes mellitus and obesity211Targeting grk2 as therapeutic strategy for cancer associated to diabetes212Effects of salbutamol on large arterial stiffness in patients with metabolic syndrome213Circulating microRNA-1 and microRNA-133a: potential biomarkers of myocardial steatosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus214Anti-inflammatory nutrigenomic effects of hydroxytyrosol in human adipocytes - protective mechanisms of mediterranean diets in obesity-related inflammation215Alterations in the metal content of different cardiac regions within a rat model of diabetic cardiomyopathyTissue engineering218A novel conductive patch for application in cardiac tissue engineering219Establishment of a simplified and improved workflow from neonatal heart dissociation to cardiomyocyte purification and characterization220Effects of flexible substrate on cardiomyocytes cell culture221Mechanical stretching on cardiac adipose progenitors upregulates sarcomere-related genes. Cardiovasc Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvw135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Myocardial commitment from human pluripotent stem cells: Rapid production of human heart grafts. Biomaterials 2016; 98:64-78. [PMID: 27179434 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Genome editing on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) together with the development of protocols for organ decellularization opens the door to the generation of autologous bioartificial hearts. Here we sought to generate for the first time a fluorescent reporter human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line by means of Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) to efficiently produce cardiomyocyte-like cells (CLCs) from hPSCs and repopulate decellularized human heart ventricles for heart engineering. In our hands, targeting myosin heavy chain locus (MYH6) with mCherry fluorescent reporter by TALEN technology in hESCs did not alter major pluripotent-related features, and allowed for the definition of a robust protocol for CLCs production also from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in 14 days. hPSCs-derived CLCs (hPSCs-CLCs) were next used to recellularize acellular cardiac scaffolds. Electrophysiological responses encountered when hPSCs-CLCs were cultured on ventricular decellularized extracellular matrix (vdECM) correlated with significant increases in the levels of expression of different ion channels determinant for calcium homeostasis and heart contractile function. Overall, the approach described here allows for the rapid generation of human cardiac grafts from hPSCs, in a total of 24 days, providing a suitable platform for cardiac engineering and disease modeling in the human setting.
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Presence and stability of rotors in atrial fibrillation: evidence and therapeutic implications. Cardiovasc Res 2016; 109:480-92. [PMID: 26786157 PMCID: PMC4777913 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvw011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Revised: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rotor-guided ablation has opened new perspectives into the therapy of atrial fibrillation (AF). Analysis of the spatio-temporal cardiac excitation patterns in the frequency and phase domains has demonstrated the importance of rotors in research models of AF, however, the dynamics and role of rotors in human AF are still controversial. In this review, the current knowledge gained through research models and patient data that support the notion that rotors are key players in AF maintenance is summarized. We report and discuss discrepancies regarding rotor prevalence and stability in various studies, which can be attributed in part to methodological differences among mapping systems. Future research for validation and improvement of current clinical electrophysiology mapping technologies will be crucial for developing mechanistic-based selection and application of the best therapeutic strategy for individual AF patient, being it, pharmaceutical, ablative, or other approach.
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Spatiotemporal Characteristics of QRS Complexes Enable the Diagnosis of Brugada Syndrome Regardless of the Appearance of a Type 1 ECG. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2016; 27:563-70. [PMID: 26799774 DOI: 10.1111/jce.12937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The diagnosis of Brugada syndrome based on the ECG is hampered by the dynamic nature of its ECG manifestations. Brugada syndrome patients are only 25% likely to present a type 1 ECG. The objective of this study is to provide an ECG diagnostic criterion for Brugada syndrome patients that can be applied consistently even in the absence of a type 1 ECG. METHODS AND RESULTS We recorded 67-lead body surface potential maps from 94 Brugada syndrome patients and 82 controls (including right bundle branch block patients and healthy individuals). The spatial propagation direction during the last r' wave and the slope at the end of the QRS complex were measured and compared between patients groups. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were constructed for half of the database to identify optimal cutoff values; sensitivity and specificity for these cutoff values were measured in the other half of the database. A spontaneous type 1 ECG was present in only 30% of BrS patients. An orientation in the sagittal plane < 101º during the last r' wave and a descending slope < 9.65 mV/s enables the diagnosis of the syndrome with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 97% in non-type 1 Brugada syndrome patients. CONCLUSION Spatiotemporal characteristics of surface ECG recordings can enable a robust identification of BrS even without the presence of a type 1 ECG.
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Noninvasive Estimation of Epicardial Dominant High-Frequency Regions During Atrial Fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2016; 27:435-42. [PMID: 26776725 DOI: 10.1111/jce.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ablation of high dominant frequency (DF) sources in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is an effective treatment option for paroxysmal AF. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of noninvasive estimation of DF and electrical patterns determination by solving the inverse problem of the electrocardiography. METHODS Four representative AF patients with left-to-right and right-to-left atrial DF patterns were included in the study. For each patient, intracardiac electrograms from both atria were recorded simultaneously together with 67-lead body surface recordings. In addition to clinical recordings, realistic mathematical models of atria and torso anatomy with different DF patterns of AF were used. For both mathematical models and clinical recordings, inverse-computed electrograms were compared to intracardiac electrograms in terms of voltage, phase, and frequency spectrum relative errors. RESULTS Comparison between intracardiac and inverse computed electrograms for AF patients showed 8.8 ± 4.4% errors for DF, 32 ± 4% for voltage, and 65 ± 4% for phase determination. These results were corroborated by mathematical simulations showing that the inverse problem solution was able to reconstruct the frequency spectrum and the DF maps with relative errors of 5.5 ± 4.1%, whereas the reconstruction of the electrograms or the instantaneous phase presented larger relative errors (i.e., 38 ± 15% and 48 ± 14 % respectively, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Noninvasive reconstruction of atrial frequency maps can be achieved by solving the inverse problem of electrocardiography with a higher accuracy than temporal distribution patterns.
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Identification of Dominant Excitation Patterns and Sources of Atrial Fibrillation by Causality Analysis. Ann Biomed Eng 2016; 44:2364-2376. [PMID: 26850022 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-015-1534-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) can be reduced by ablation of sources of electrical impulses driving AF but driver identification is still challenging. This study presents a new methodology based on causality analysis that allows identifying the hierarchically dominant areas driving AF. Identification of dominant propagation patterns was achieved by computing causal relations between intracardiac multi-electrode catheter recordings of four paroxysmal AF patients during sinus rhythm, pacing and AF. In addition, realistic mathematical models of the atria during AF were used to validate the methodology both in the presence and absence of dominant frequency (DF) gradients. During electrical pacing, sources of propagation patterns detected by causality analysis were consistent with the location of the stimulating catheter. During AF, propagation patterns presented temporal variability, but a dominant direction accounted for significantly more propagations than other directions (49 ± 15% vs. 14 ± 13% or less, p < 0.01). Both in patients with a DF gradient and in mathematical models, causal maps allowed the identification of sites responsible for maintenance of AF. Causal maps allowed the identification of atrial dominant sites. In particular, causality analysis resulted in stable dominant cause-effect propagation directions during AF and could serve as a guide for performing ablation procedures in AF patients.
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Atrial sources identification by causality analysis during atrial fibrillation. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2016; 2015:3783-6. [PMID: 26737117 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2015.7319217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Ablation of electrical drivers during atrial fibrillation (AF) has been proved as an effective therapy to prevent recurrence of fibrillatory episodes. This study presents a new methodology based on causality analysis that is able to identify the hierarchical dominance of atrial areas driving AF. Realistic mathematical models of the atrial electrical activity during AF were used to assess the validity of our method. Identification of the dominant atrial propagation patterns was achieved by computing causal relations between multiple electrogram signals. The causal relationships between atrial areas during the fibrillatory processes were summarized into a recurrence map, highlighting the hierarchy and dominant areas. Recurrence maps computed from causality analysis allowed the identification of sites responsible for maintenance of the arrhythmia. These maps were able to locate the position of the atrial driver in fibrillatory processes with a single rotor, with 2 rotors or with several drivers. Additionally, the correspondence between the nodal values of the recurrence map and the distance to the rotor core has been established. Causal analysis consistently estimated propagation patterns and location of atrial drivers during AF. This methodology could guide ablation procedures in AF patients.
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Role of atrial tissue remodeling on rotor dynamics: an in vitro study. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2015; 309:H1964-73. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00055.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this article is to present an in vitro model of atrial cardiac tissue that could serve to study the mechanisms of remodeling related to atrial fibrillation (AF). We analyze the modification on gene expression and modifications on rotor dynamics following tissue remodeling. Atrial murine cells (HL-1 myocytes) were maintained in culture after the spontaneous initiation of AF and analyzed at two time points: 3.1 ± 1.3 and 9.7 ± 0.5 days after AF initiation. The degree of electrophysiological remodeling (i.e., relative gene expression of key ion channels) and structural inhomogeneity was compared between early and late cell culture times both in nonfibrillating and fibrillating cell cultures. In addition, the electrophysiological characteristics of in vitro fibrillation [e.g., density of phase singularities (PS/cm2), dominant frequency, and rotor meandering] analyzed by means of optical mapping were compared with the degree of electrophysiological remodeling. Fibrillating cell cultures showed a differential ion channel gene expression associated with atrial tissue remodeling (i.e., decreased SCN5A, CACN1C, KCND3, and GJA1 and increased KCNJ2) not present in nonfibrillating cell cultures. Also, fibrillatory complexity was increased in late- vs. early stage cultures (1.12 ± 0.14 vs. 0.43 ± 0.19 PS/cm2, P < 0.01), which was associated with changes in the electrical reentrant patterns (i.e., decrease in rotor tip meandering and increase in wavefront curvature). HL-1 cells can reproduce AF features such as electrophysiological remodeling and an increased complexity of the electrophysiological behavior associated with the fibrillation time that resembles those occurring in patients with chronic AF.
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