Prognostic Value of Biomarkers in Cancer Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved outcomes for several malignancies, but cancer patients face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to shared risk factors, similar biological mechanisms, and cardiotoxic side effects of therapy. Effective risk stratification strategies are urgently needed.

Objectives: This study explored the association between the biomarkers with the risks of acute cardiovascular hospitalizations and death in cancer patients receiving ICI therapy.

Development of a Novel, Pulmonary Endovascular Device to Treat Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) carries a poor prognosis and a high mortality. Loss of pulmonary arterial compliance (PAC) plays a significant role in the development of PH and is an early predictor of mortality. Currently, there are no therapeutic options to overcome the loss of PAC.

Isolated Atrial Myocarditis With Atrial Standstill.

Background: Myocarditis typically affects ventricles, whereas isolated atrial myocarditis is rare, causing conduction abnormalities, atrial standstill, and right heart failure.

Case Summary: Two weeks after a respiratory infection, a 35-year-old man developed dyspnea, leg edema, and bradycardia. Electrocardiogram revealed a narrow QRS escape rhythm without P waves, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was elevated.

Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Results of an International Multicenter Prospective Registry.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension results from mechanical obstruction of major pulmonary artery lumina with fibrotic tissue. Main treatment has been pulmonary endarterectomy, a complex surgical procedure removing vascular obstruction. However, at least 40% of patients are not candidates for pulmonary endarterectomy because of technical inoperability, comorbidities, or limited access to surgery.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Digital-Single-Operator-Video-Pancreatoscopy Guided Lithotripsy for Pancreatic Duct Stones.

Introduction: Ductal decompression has become the main approach for treating patients with symptomatic chronic calcifying pancreatitis and signs of ductal hypertension. Digital single operator video pancreatoscopy (dSOVP) has shown high success rates when compared with more established techniques such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. However, there is still limited evidence on long-term clinical success and quality of life.

Surgery versus endoscopy with digital single-operator cholangioscopy-guided therapy for Mirizzi syndrome: the SEIZE study.

Background:  The management of Mirizzi syndrome has been primarily surgical, but there are no comparisons between surgical and digital single-operator cholangioscopy (dSOC)-guided treatment. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and other outcomes of the two approaches.

Methods:  A large multicenter international retrospective analysis was conducted comparing dSOC and surgery in patients with type II-IV Mirizzi syndrome between January 2005 and June 2023.

Effect of Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty and Riociguat on Right Ventricular Afterload and Function in CTEPH: Insights From the RACE Trial.

Background: Riociguat and balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) improve hemodynamics in inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Importantly, comparative effects of riociguat and BPA on different components of right ventricular (RV) afterload and function remain not fully elucidated.

Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis including patients from the RACE trial (Riociguat Versus Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty in Non-Operable Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension) with complete data for the primary end point assessment (49 riociguat and 51 BPA).

Prognostic factors for transplant-free survival in patients with secondary sclerosing cholangitis associated with critical illness.

Objective: Secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) represents a disease with a poor prognosis increasingly diagnosed in clinical settings. Notably, SSC in critically ill patients (SSC-CIP) is the most frequent cause. Variables associated with worse prognosis remain unclear.

Treatment algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension leads to significant impairment in haemodynamics, right heart function, exercise capacity, quality of life and survival. Current therapies have mechanisms of action involving signalling one of four pathways: endothelin-1, nitric oxide, prostacyclin and bone morphogenetic protein/activin signalling. Efficacy has generally been greater with therapeutic combinations and with parenteral therapy compared with monotherapy or nonparenteral therapies, and maximal medical therapy is now four-drug therapy.

Role of Exercise Hemodynamics in the Prediction of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in BMPR2 Mutation Carriers.

Background: Exercise hemodynamics are recommended for early detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and have been suggested to be predictive of future development of PAH in high-risk populations such as BMPR2 mutation carriers. However, the optimal exercise hemodynamic screening parameter remains to be determined. Recent data suggest that pulmonary vascular distensibility (α) may serve as a useful parameter for early detection of PAH.

Evidence and unresolved questions in pulmonary hypertension: Insights from the 5th French Pulmonary Hypertension Network Meeting.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) continues to present significant challenges to the medical community, both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The advent of the updated 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines has introduced pivotal changes that reflect the rapidly advancing understanding of this complex disease. These changes include a revised definition of PH, updates to the classification system, and treatment algorithm.

Phenotypes in pulmonary hypertension.

The clinical classification of pulmonary hypertension (PH) has guided diagnosis and treatment of patients with PH for several decades. Discoveries relating to underlying mechanisms, pathobiology and responses to treatments for PH have informed the evolution in this clinical classification to describe the heterogeneity in PH phenotypes. In more recent years, advances in imaging, computational science and multi-omic approaches have yielded new insights into potential phenotypes and sub-phenotypes within the existing clinical classification.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for hypercontractile (Jackhammer) esophagus: A retrospective multicenter series with long-term follow-up.

Introduction: Long-term outcome data are limited for non-achalasia esophageal motility disorders treated by peroral endoscopy myotomy (POEM) as a separate group. We investigated a subset of symptomatic patients with hypercontractile esophagus (Jackhammer esophagus).

Methods: Forty two patients (mean age 60.

Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and NT-proBNP Levels Provide Synergistic Information in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is elevated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and is associated with unfavorable outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess changes in ADMA plasma levels for monitoring disease progression and outcomes during PAH-specific therapy.

Methods: ADMA was measured at baseline and after at least 6 months of follow-up using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Updated Clinical Classification and Hemodynamic Definitions of Pulmonary Hypertension and Its Clinical Implications.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) refers to a pathologic elevation of the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in a wide range of medical conditions. These conditions are classified according to similarities in pathophysiology and management in addition to their invasive hemodynamic profiles. The 2022 ESC/ERS guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension present the newest clinical classification system and includes significant updates to the hemodynamic definitions.

Efficacy and safety of the Aria pulmonary endovascular device in pulmonary hypertension.

Aims: A common feature of various forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is progressive decline of pulmonary arterial compliance (C), which correlates with reduced survival. In this acute study, we evaluated feasibility, safety and haemodynamic performance of the Aria pulmonary endovascular device in patients with PH associated with left heart disease (PH-LHD) and chronic lung disease (PH-CLD).

Methods And Results: Eight patients with PH-LHD and 10 patients with PH-CLD were included in this study.

Recurrences of advanced sessile and lateral spreading colorectal adenoma after endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) thermal ablation versus no adjuvant therapy (RESPECT): a protocol of an international randomized controlled trial.

Background: Nowadays, large benign lateral spreading lesions (LSLs) and sessile polyps in the colorectum are mostly resected by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). A major drawback of EMR is the polyp recurrence rate of up to 20%. Snare tip soft coagulation (STSC) is considered an effective technique to reduce recurrence rates.

Haemodynamic phenotypes of pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease: a moving target.

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