Dilated cardiomyopathies and non-compaction cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common form of cardiomyopathy and one of the most common causes of heart failure. It is characterized by left or biventricular dilation and a reduced systolic function. The causes are manifold and range from myocarditis to alcohol and other toxins, to rheumatological, endocrinological, and metabolic diseases. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a special form that occurs at the end of or shortly after pregnancy. Genetic mutations can be detected in approximately 30-50% of DCM patients. Owing to the growing possibilities of genetic diagnostics, increasingly more triggering variants and hereditary mechanisms emerge. This is particularly important with regard to risk stratification for patients with variants with an increased risk of arrhythmias. Patient prognosis is determined by the occurrence of heart failure and arrhythmias. In addition to the treatment of the underlying disease or the elimination of triggering harmful toxins, therapy consists in guideline-directed heart failure treatment including drug and device therapy.

437 A score based on echocardiographic parameters highly predicts atrial fibrillation

Background

Several scores indicating patients at high risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) have been developed. Early detection of AF supported by AF risk score is important to prevent embolic events such as ischemic stroke in these patients. However, specifity and sensitivity of AF risk scores available have to be improved. Echocardiographic parameters may significantly improve the diagnostic value of AF risk scores.

Purpose

To investigate whether a new AF risk score (LaHAsPa) including echocardiographic parameter of LA function and remodeling identifies patients with AF and is not inferior to other published AF risk scores (CHADS2-, ATLAS-, ARIC, simple CHARGE-AF-Score).

Methods

This monocentric, prospective, semi-blinded, controlled study screened 319 patients between 10/2017 and 04/2018 for eligibility. 290 patients were included after applying in- and exclusion criteria (Exclusion criteria: cardiac surgery in the past, highly graded valvular heart disease, pulmonary vein isolation or ablation of any other form of atrial arrhythmias in the past, myocardial ischemia in the recent past, class Ia antiarrhythmic therapy and AF during echocardiography). Standard parameters of heart function were determined by routine transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) as well as parameters indicating left atrial remodeling (Septal/lateral total atrial conduction time (s/l PA-TDI), left atrial volume index (LAVI)/a`). Two different investigators, blinded to each other and to AF status, determined the LaHAsPA-, CHADS2-, ATLAS-, ARIC, simple CHARGE-AF Score.

Results

Out of 290 patients (age 59.5 [45-71] yrs, female 121 (41.7%)) 66 patients had AF in the medical history. sPA-TDI and LAVI/a` are significantly altered in patients with AF compared to patients without of AF (sPA-TDI: 145 [117-158] vs. 111 [98-124], p < 0.001; LAVI/a`: 4.5 [3.7-6.9] vs. 3.1 [2.4-4.1]). Multivariate Cox regression proportionality analysis highlighted sPA-TDI, and LAVI/a` as markers for prediction of AF (sPA-TDI: HR 1.11, 95%CI 1.00-1.23, p < 0.04; LAVI/a`: HR 1.911, 95%CI 1.2-3.04). The LaHAsPA-Score, including hypertension, age, sPA-TDI and LAVI/a’, identified patients with AF with high specificity and sensitivity (area under the curve 0.993, 95%CI 0.99-1.0). Subsequently cut-off values determined for CHADS2-, ATLAS-, ARIC and simple CHARGE-AF Score, McNemar test for dichotomous distribution on dependent collectives highlighted the powerful predictive value of the LaHAsPA-risk Score.

Conclusion(s)

We demonstrate, that septal PA-TDI and LAVI/a` are highly predictive for AF presence. Our new AF score LaHAsPA consisting of variables easily to be determined in daily routine stratifies AF risk with high specificity and sensitivity. It might facilitate risk-dependent decision-making and potentially identifies patients with AF more precisely compared to commonly used AF scores. Additional prospective studies at greater scale are warranted to test this intriguing hypothesis.

P5452First data-analysis of the prospective ETiCS-study after study-end confirms acute (microbial-induced) inflammation as a key trigger for the development of cardiac GPCR-autoantibodies

Methods

In total 13 University Hospitals (12 German, 1 Serbian) prospectively recruited 226 patients (pts.) with a first acute myocardial infarction (FAMI), and 140 pts with acute (biopsy- or cMRI-proven) myocarditis (AMitis) into the Etiology, Titer-Course and effect on Survival of cardiac autoantibodies-study (ETiCS-study). This study aimed to investigate whether the presentation of cardiac membrane antigens (e.g., the beta1-adrenoceptor) following cardiac necrosis/inflammation triggers the formation of beta1-aabs. At baseline (BL) and three follow-ups (Fup1–3), blood was sampled to analyze the time-course of beta1-aabs. Beta1-aab titers were measured by FACS using Dyna-beads® M-270-Epoxy coated with increasing amounts of beta1-ECII-peptides (2.5–100 μg/ml), checked versus scrambled peptides (a mixture of same amino-acids). After reacting, the samples were measured by FACScan flow-cytometry; obtained data were analyzed with FlowJo (Treestar). When half-maximal binding was calculable the serum was classified beta1-aab-positive.

Results

From n=366 pts (226 FAMI/140 AMitis) recruited into the ETiCS-study 45 pts had to be excluded because of unperformed cMRI's; 46 pts stopped the study before Fup-1 (month 3). Only 180/226 FAMI- and 98/140 AMitis-pts had complete Fup1–3 (after 3, 6, and 12 months with clinical assessment, echocardiograms, and cMRI's at BL and Fup-3). In all valid ETiCS-pts (197 FAMI-/123 AMitis-pts) the titer-course of beta1-aabs was compared with the development of echo-LVEF. Relevant (high-affinity) beta1-aab-titers were detected in ∼31% (37/123) of the AMitis-pts compared to only ∼21% (42/197) of the FAMI-pts. In aab-positive AMitis-pts echo-LVEF did not recover and was always significantly inferior to aab-negative AMitis-pts (BL: 38 vs. 49% LVEF; Fup-3: 49 vs. 64% LVEF) whereas such a difference was not noted in FAMI-pts. In addition, aab-positive AMitis-pts had higher NT pro-BNP-, renin-, and aldosterone-levels than aab-negative AMitis-pts.

Conclusion

The first evaluation of the completed ETiCS-study clearly suggests that acute microbial-induced rather than post-infarction myocardial inflammation triggers the formation of clinically relevant beta1-aabs. AAb-positive AMitis-patients might profit from early intensification of standard HF-therapy (including early beta-blockade) and/or novel antibody-directed experimental therapies which are currently developed.

Acknowledgement/Funding

BMBF Grant FKZ 01ES0816

CRP genetic variants are associated with mortality and depressive symptoms in chronic heart failure patients

OBJECTIVE

Heart failure (HF) is a complex medical condition with a multitude of genetic and other factors being involved in the pathogenesis. Emerging evidence points to an involvement of inflammatory mechanisms at least in subgroups of patients. The same is true for depression and depressive symptoms, which have a high prevalence in HF patients and are risk factors for the development and outcomes of cardiovascular disease.

METHODS

In 936 patients of the Interdisciplinary Network Heart Failure (INH) program, CRP and IL-6 protein blood levels were measured and genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms) of the CRP and IL6 gene analyzed regarding their influence on mortality.

RESULTS

Less common recessive genotypes of two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CRP gene (rs1800947 and rs11265263) were associated with significantly higher mortality risk (p < 0.006), higher CRP levels (p = 0.029, p = 0.006) and increased depressive symptoms in the PHQ-9 (p = 0.005, p = 0.003). Variants in the IL-6 gene were not associated with mortality.

CONCLUSION

Our results hint towards an association of less common CRP genetic variants with increased mortality risk, depressive symptoms and peripheral CRP levels in this population of HF patients thereby suggesting a possible role of the inflammatory system as link between poor prognosis in HF and depressive symptoms.

Transcutaneous temporary pacing in the operating room

The safety and efficacy of transcutaneous temporary pacing were assessed in 21 patients undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anesthesia. Complete capture was achieved in all patients. The pacing threshold was 50 mamp in two patients, 100 mamp in nine, and 200 mamp in ten. The threshold was influenced by electrode position and also, possibly, by age, heart size, and chest size. No adverse effects of pacing were encountered. Transcutaneous pacing is a rapid, safe, and effective means of temporary pacing in the operating room.

Resistance trends of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Republic of Korea

Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae has increased in the Far East to the point that penicillin can no longer be recommended as the drug of choice, mandating a change to spectinomycin. As part of an ongoing surveillance of antibiotic susceptibilities, minimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and moxalactam were determined. A disturbing, steady increase in resistance to spectinomycin was documented.