No abstract

The purpose in this case was to repair a less invasive approach than a standard sternotomy. Workup of asymptomatic patient with computerized tomography scan of chest revealed pulmonary artery aneurysm and transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated flow stagnation in aneurysm. An alternative minimally invasive approach was performed to repair the pulmonary artery aneurysm with plication through a left anterior minithoracotomy using normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with percutaneous peripheral cannulation, instead of median sternotomy. Post-repair transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated normal flow in the pulmonary artery. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was seen in the outpatient clinic with excellent recovery. Minimally invasive repair of pulmonary artery aneurysm through a left anterior minithoracotomy is a feasible alternative approach. Minimally invasive repair of pulmonary artery aneurysm through a left anterior minithoracotomy is a feasible alternative approach.

Background: Catheter ablation is an established therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF), but recurrence after ablation is still a great challenge. A higher prevalence of AF has been reported among patients with chronic renal disease. However, little is known about the effect of renal function on the efficiency of AF ablation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of renal function on the prognosis of catheter ablation for AF. Methods: A total of 306 consecutive drug-refractory symptomatic patients with AF who underwent first-time catheter ablation were enrolled in the present study. The individuals underwent circumferential pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal AF and stepwise ablation for persistent AF. Results: Following up 27.2 ± 19.5 months after a single procedure, 202 patients (66.01%) were free of atrial tachyarrhythmia (non-recurrence group), and the other 104 patients experienced recurrence (recurrence group). The recurrence group had a larger left atrial diameter (LAD) and left atrial volume (LAV), a higher LAV index (LAVI) (p < 0.01, respectively), and a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (53.5 ± 14.4 vs. 65.5 ± 13.3 ml/min/1.732, p < 0.001) and creatinine clearance rate (CCr) (85.2 ± 26.1 vs. 101.5 ± 29.4 ml/min, p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated eGFR and LAVI as independent predictors of long-term recurrence after single catheter ablation. Conclusion: Decreased eGFR and elevated LAVI may facilitate the long-term recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia after catheter ablation for AF.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can cause placental dysfunctions, which may result in pregnancy complications. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are actively involved in the regulation of immune responses during pregnancy. The present study aimed to determine the lncRNA expression profiles in placentas from women with SLE to gain new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms in SLE pregnancies.Methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was performed to identify SLE-dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs in placentas from women with SLE and normal full-term (NT) pregnancies. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to predict biological functions of these SLE-dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs. Correlation relationships between these dysregulated lncRNAs and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) scores were also assessed. Results: RNA-seq analysis identified 81 dysregulated lncRNAs in SLE placentas, including 53 that were up-regulated and 28 down-regulated. Additional 221 SLE-dysregulated mRNAs were also discovered, including 209 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that SLE-dysregulated genes were associated with biological functions and gene networks, such as type I interferon signaling pathway, response to hypoxia, regulation of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) cascade, response to steroid hormone, heparin binding, and insulin-like growth factor binding. Correlation analysis showed that lncRNA NONHSAT246155.1 was positively correlated (r = 0.333, P = 0.037) with SLEDAI score.Conclusions: This is the first report of the lncRNA profiles in placentas from SLE pregnancies. These results suggest that the aberrant expression and the potential regulatory function of lncRNAs in placentas may play comprehensive roles in the pathogenesis of SLE pregnancies. These lncRNAs, including NONHSAT246155.1 may potentially serve as novel therapeutic targets for SLE during pregnancy.