Correlation of Spontaneous and Induced Premature Atrial Complexes Initiating Atrial Fibrillation in Humans: Electrophysiologic Parameters for Guiding Therapy

INTRODUCTION: The low frequency of spontaneous premature atrial contractions (PACs) may be an impediment to mapping and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). It has been shown that PACs following external or internal cardioversion of AF can initiate AF. If this method could reproducibly induce PACs from the same location as spontaneous PACs, it would be clinically significant. High-resolution noncontact mapping can map a single beat, should help identify the sites of spontaneously occurring PACs and PACs induced following cardioversion of spontaneous or induced AF, and could help correlate the trigger sites for AF induction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twelve patients (8 men and 4 women; mean age 49+/-10 years) with spontaneous PACs were included in the study. In all patients, AF was induced and subsequently cardioverted to assess and map isolated PACs or PACs that induced AF. Using the EnSite 3000 noncontact mapping system, mapping was performed of spontaneously occurring isolated PACs and PACs that induced AF and PACs (both with and without AF) that occurred on at least two different occasions following cardioversion. The locations of the spontaneous and the induced PACs were similar; 97% of induced PACs came from the same locations as those of spontaneous PACs (P = 0.5). Radiofrequency lesions guided by this mapping technique were delivered at 14 pulmonary vein sites. Following a single ablation attempt during a mean follow-up of 19+/-4 weeks, 42% of the patients were in sinus rhythm and drug-free, whereas an additional 24% of patients could be maintained in sinus rhythm on drugs that had failed before. CONCLUSION: There is a high degree of correlation between spontaneous and induced PACs as the trigger sites for AF initiation. Cardioversion of spontaneous or induced AF could be used as an electrophysiologic parameter for guiding therapy.     

Coronary sinus mapping to differentiate left versus right ventricular outflow tract tachycardias.

Outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (OT-VT) can originate from several different segments of the outflow tract. Various ECG criteria have been proposed for localization of OT-VTs. We present two patients, one with left and one with right OT-VT. We used local ventricular electrograms in the coronary sinus to localize the focus of the OT-VT. Mapping of local ventricular electrograms in the coronary sinus may be a simple and effective method for differentiating right versus left ventricular outflow tract tachycardias. However, the diagnostic value and precision of this method should be evaluated in a series of patients before its implementation in the OT-VT ablation decision algorithm.     

Phage display for site-specific immunization and characterization of high-risk human papillomavirus specific E7 monoclonal antibodies

The paper describes a method to use filamentous phage to display specific regions of proteins for immunization in order to direct the immune response towards a pre-defined region of the protein. The method called site-specific immunization (SSI) was evaluated using the E7 protein of oncogenic (high-risk) human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 as a model system. This protein consists of sequence blocks also present in other viral and cellular proteins and in the corresponding protein of low-risk HPVs. A fragment of the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein specific for a group of high-risk viruses was identified by sequence comparison and displayed on filamentous phages in fusion with the major phage coat protein VIII. The recombinant phages triggered an immune response in mice against the full-length HPV16 E7 protein. Fusion of B-lymphocytes from the immunized animals with myeloma cells resulted in three hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with reactivity against the endogenous E7 protein. The specificity of the MAbs for the HPV16 E7 protein in cancer cell lines was confirmed by Western blot analyses and immunocytochemistry. The epitope of each MAb was roughly mapped by determining the reactivity against overlapping E7 fragments displayed on phage particles. The mimotopes of the MAbs were further determined by biopanning against a randomized peptide library displayed on phage and found to be unique for a sub-set of high-risk HPV E7 proteins. The combination of different phage display techniques for immunization and epitope mapping was efficient for generation and characterization of highly specific MAbs.     

Reproducibility of Computerized Measurements of QT Interval from Multiple Leads at Rest and During Exercise

Background: Accurate measurement of the QT interval is important for diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS), and in research on determinants of ventricular repolarization time. We tested automatic analysis of QT intervals from multiple ECG leads on chest. Methods: Eleven healthy volunteers and 10 genotyped LQTS patients were tested at rest and during exercise with a bicycle ergometer twice 1–31 months apart. Electrocardiograms were recorded with the body surface potential mapping system, and 12 precordial channels were selected for analysis. Averaged QT peak and QT end intervals were determined with an automated algorithm, and the difference QT end minus QT peak (Tp‐e) was calculated. Repeatability was assessed by coefficient of variation (CV) between measurements. Results: Within one test at rest the QT end intervals were highly repeatable with CV 0.6%. In repeated tests CV was 4.4% for QT end interval and 3.5% when the QT interval was corrected for heart rate. In exercise test at specified heart rates, mean CV was 3.0% for QT end and 2.9% for QT peak interval. The CV of Tp‐e interval was 10.2% at rest, and 9.3% in exercise test. Reproducibility was comparable between healthy subjects and LQTS patients. Conclusions: The BSPM system with automated analysis produced accurate and highly repeatable QT interval measurements. Reproducibility was adequate also over prolonged time periods both at rest and in exercise stress test. The method can be applied in studying duration of ventricular repolarization time in different physiologic and pharmacologic interventions.     

血流向量图分析正常左心室等容收缩期血流动力学特点

目的 应用血流向量图(vector flow mapping,VFM)技术分析正常左室等容收缩期是否为血流动力学停滞期.方法 健康志愿者50例,心尖左室长轴观记录动态彩色多普勒血流图像,VFM技术分析等容收缩期左室内血流动力学特点.结果 舒张末期左室腔内形成一个较大的整体涡流,并持续至整个等容收缩期,于射血早、中期消失.它使左室腔内原本朝向心尖的血流于心尖部转向,向基底部流出道流动.结论 等容收缩期并非左室的血流动力学停滞期,在这一时相,心脏依靠涡流完成了血液的传递和血流的转向,更实现了血流动量的传递.     

TEG对老年高血压患者阿司匹林疗效监测的研究

目的：研究不同检测方法对阿司匹林抵抗疗效的监测作用。方法对57名口服阿司匹林的老年高血压患者分别进行光学法血小板聚集率（platelet aggregation test,PAgT）,血栓弹力图（thrombelastography,TEG）,血、尿11-脱氢血栓素B2（11-dehydro thromboxane B2 ,11-DH-TXB2）浓度及P-选择素（P-seletin）表达的检测,并进行对比分析。结果TEG血小板图在阿司匹林抵抗组（aspirin resistance,AR）,阿司匹林半抵抗组（aspirinsemi—responders,ASR）,阿司匹林敏感组（aspirin sensitive,AS）间两两比较中均有显著差异（P均〈0．01）。血、尿11-DH-TXB2含量,P-选择素表达率在AR组和ASR组明显升高（P均〈0．05）。PAgT,TEG血小板图,血、尿11-脱氢血栓素B2及P-选择素这些方法间有一定的相关性（相关系数r均〉0．4,P均〈0．01）。与PAgT,血尿11-DH—TXB：这几种临床常用检测方法相比,TEG血小板图对AR检出的灵敏度（81．48％）和特异性（85．71％）更高,与P-选择素的一致性更高（K=0．822,P〈0．001）。结论TEG血小板图检测对于老年高血压患者使用阿司匹林疗效具有较高的临床应用价值。有助于指导制定个体化的抗血小板治疗方案。     

Mapping of gene loci in the Q13–Q15 region of chromosome 12

The gene loci CDK4, GLI, CHOP and MDM2 have been mapped to the q13–q15 region of chromosome 12. Using fluorescencein situ hybridization onto simultaneously DAPI-banded metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei, we have more precisely mapped and ordered these loci, together with a number of Genethon microsatellite markers. GLI and CHOP localize to 12q13.3–14.1, CDK4 to 12q14 and MDM2 to 12q14.3–q15, and the gene order is cen-GLI/CHOP-CDK4-MDM2. The Genethon microsatellites D12S80 and D12S83 flank MDM2.     

Extra-ostial pulmonary venous isolation: use of epicardial ablation to eliminate a point of conduction breakthrough

Epicardial RFA to Achieve Electrical PV Isolation. During catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, ablation within the pulmonary veins is undesirable due to the risk of pulmonary venous stenosis and the possibility of leaving residual cuffs of arrhythmogenic tissue proximal to the ablation lesion set. An extra-ostial pulmonary vein isolation strategy may circumvent these limitations, but achieving electrical isolation can be technically challenging, even with the use of saline-irrigated radiofrequency energy technology. This report describes the successful use of epicardial radiofrequency ablation in a patient in whom endocardial irrigated radiofrequency ablation failed to achieve extra-ostial pulmonary vein isolation.