Objective: To study the possible occurrence of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic asynchrony in patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and narrow QRS complexes. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patients: 200 subjects were studied by echocardiography. 67 patients had HF and narrow QRS complexes (< 120 ms), 45 patients had HF and wide QRS complexes (> 120 ms), and 88 served as normal controls. Interventions: Echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging was performed using a six basal, six mid-segmental model. Main outcome measures: Severity and prevalence of systolic and diastolic asynchrony, as assessed by the maximal difference in time to peak myocardial systolic contraction (T S ) and early diastolic relaxation (T E ), and the standard deviation of T S (T S -SD) and of T E (T E -SD) of the 12 LV segments. Results: The mean (SD) maximal difference in T S (controls 53 (23) ms v narrow QRS 107 (54) ms v wide QRS 130 (51) ms, both p < 0.001 v controls) and in T S -SD (controls 17.0 (7.8) ms v narrow QRS 33.8 (16.9) ms v wide QRS 42.0 (16.5) ms, both p < 0.001 v controls) was prolonged in the narrow QRS group compared with normal controls. Similarly, the maximal difference in T E (controls 59 (19) ms v narrow QRS 104 (71) ms v wide QRS 148 (87) ms, both p < 0.001 v controls) and in T E -SD (controls 18.5 (5.8) ms v narrow QRS 33.3 (27.7) ms v wide QRS 48.6 (30.2) ms, both p < 0.001 v controls) was prolonged in the narrow QRS group. The prevalence of systolic and diastolic asynchrony was 51% and 46%, respectively, in the narrow QRS group, and 73% and 69%, respectively, in the wide QRS group. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that a low mean myocardial systolic velocity from the six basal LV segments and a large LV end systolic diameter were independent predictors of systolic asynchrony, while a low mean myocardial early diastolic velocity and QRS complex duration were independent predictors of diastolic asynchrony. Conclusions: LV systolic and diastolic mechanical asynchrony is common in patients with HF with narrow QRS complexes. As QRS complex duration is not a determinant of systolic asynchrony, it implies that assessment of intraventricular synchronicity is probably more important than QRS duration in considering cardiac resynchronisation treatment.

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Decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC), a life-threatening complication of chronic liver disease, is one of the major indications for liver transplantation. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transfusion has been shown to lead to the regression of liver fibrosis in mice and humans. This study examined the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord-derived MSC (UC-MSC) in patients with decompensated LC. A total of 45 chronic hepatitis B patients with decompensated LC, including 30 patients receiving UC-MSC transfusion, and 15 patients receiving saline as the control, were recruited; clinical parameters were detected during a 1-year follow-up period. No significant side-effects and complications were observed in either group. There was a significant reduction in the volume of ascites in patients treated with UC-MSC transfusion compared with controls (P < 0.05). UC-MSC therapy also significantly improved liver function, as indicated by the increase of serum albumin levels, decrease in total serum bilirubin levels, and decrease in the sodium model for end-stage liver disease scores. UC-MSC transfusion is clinically safe and could improve liver function and reduce ascites in patients with decompensated LC. UC-MSC transfusion, therefore, might present a novel therapeutic approach for patients with decompensated LC.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a severe, life-threatening complication, and new and efficient therapeutic strategies for liver failure are urgently needed. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transfusions have been shown to reverse fulminant hepatic failure in mice and to improve liver function in patients with end-stage liver diseases. We assessed the safety and initial efficacy of umbilical cordderived MSC (UC-MSC) transfusions for ACLF patients associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A total of 43 ACLF patients were enrolled for this open-labeled and controlled study; 24 patients were treated with UC-MSCs, and 19 patients were treated with saline as controls. UC-MSC therapy was given three times at 4-week intervals. The liver function, adverse events, and survival rates were evaluated during the 48-week or 72-week follow-up period. No significant side effects were observed during the trial. The UC-MSC transfusions significantly increased the survival rates in ACLF patients; reduced the model for end-stage liver disease scores; increased serum albumin, cholinesterase, and prothrombin activity; and increased platelet counts. Serum total bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly decreased after the UC-MSC transfusions. UC-MSC transfusions are safe in the clinic and may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for HBV-associated ACLF patients. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2012;1:725-731

Progression of gastric variceal hemorrhage (GVH) is poorer than esophageal variceal bleeding. However, data on its optimal treatment are limited. We designed a prospective study to compare the efficacy of endoscopic band ligation (GVL) and endoscopic N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection (GVO). Liver patients with cirrhosis with or without concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and patients presenting with acute GVH were randomized into two treatment groups. Forty-eight patients received GVL, and another 49 patients received GVO. Both treatments were equally successful in controlling active bleeding (14/15 vs. 14/15, P ‫؍‬ 1.000). More of the patients who underwent GVL had GV rebleeding (GVL vs. GVO, 21/48 vs. 11/49; P ‫؍‬ .044). The 2-year and 3-year cumulative rate of GV rebleeding were 63.1% and 72.3% for GVL, and 26.8% for both periods with GVO; P ‫؍‬ .0143, log-rank test. The rebleeding risk of GVL was sustained throughout the entire follow-up period. Multivariate Cox regression indicated that concomitance with HCC (relative hazard: 2.453, 95% CI: 1.036-5.806, P ‫؍‬ .041) and the treatment method (GVL vs. GVO, relative hazard: 2.660, 95% CI: 1.167-6.061, P ‫؍‬ .020) were independent factors predictive of GV rebleeding. There was no difference in survival between the two groups. Severe complications attributable to these two treatments were rare. In conclusion, the efficacy of GVL to control active GVH appears not different to GVO, but GVO is associated with a lower GV rebleeding rate. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;43:690-697.) A lthough the outcome of variceal hemorrhage has improved over the past two decades, variceal hemorrhage is still the most serious complication of portal hypertension and chronic liver disease. 1 Although bleeding occurs less often from gastric varices (GV) than from esophageal varices (EV) (esophageal variceal hemorrhage [EVH] accounts for 70% to 80% of variceal hemorrhage), it has a poorer prognosis and is associated with more severe blood loss, a higher rebleeding rate, and a higher mortality rate. 1-3 However, limited data exist on the best treatment for GV hemorrhage (GVH). Endoscopic treatment is an alternative in the management of GVH and includes endoscopic injection of sclerosants or thrombin, 4,5 endoscopic band ligation, 6,7 and others. The success rate in controlling GVH by endoscopic injection of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (GVO) appears higher than for other sclerosants according to previous non-randomized trials. 8,9 Though endoscopic variceal ligation is regarded as the optimal endoscopic treatment for EVH, 10 its safety and efficacy for the treatment of GVH is uncertain. 7,11 The rebleeding rate of GVO is variable and ranges from 10% to 42%. 12 At the time we started this trial, there were no randomized control trials, and even now, there is only one relatively small randomized clinical trial, 13 which was conducted to compare these two potential treatment modalities (endoscopic band ligation [GVL] vs. GVO) on the GVH; it showed results in favor of GVO for the treatment of GVH. We...