Akhiyat, Nadia

Background Elevated plasma ceramides are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with advanced epicardial coronary artery disease. Our understanding of plasma ceramides in early epicardial coronary artery disease, however, remains limited. We examined the role of plasma ceramides in early coronary atherosclerosis characterized by coronary endothelial dysfunction. Methods and Results Participants presenting with chest pain and nonobstructive epicardial coronary artery disease underwent coronary endothelial function. Patients (n=90) demonstrated abnormal coronary endothelial function with acetylcholine (≥20% decrease in coronary artery diameter or ≤50% increase in coronary blood flow). A total of 30 controls had normal coronary endothelial function. Concentrations of plasma ceramide 18:0 ( P =0.038), 16:0 ( P =0.021), and 24:0 ( P =0.019) differed between participants with normal and abnormal coronary endothelial function. Ceramide 24:0 (odds ratio [OR], 2.23 [95% CI, 1.07–4.66]; P =0.033) and 16:0 (OR, 1.91×10 6 [95% CI, 11.93–3.07×10 11 ]; P =0.018) were independently associated with coronary endothelial dysfunction. Among participants with endothelium‐dependent coronary dysfunction (n=78), ceramides 16:0 (OR, 5.17×10 5 [95% CI, 2.83–9.44×10 10 ]; P =0.033), 24:0 (OR, 2.98 [95% CI, 1.27–7.00]; P =0.012), and 24:1/24:0 (OR, 4.39×10 −4 [95% CI, 4×10 −7 –0.48]; P =0.030) were more likely to be elevated. Conclusions The current study demonstrated an association between increased circulating ceramide levels and coronary endothelial dysfunction in the absence of epicardial coronary artery disease. This study supports the role of plasma ceramides as a potential biomarker or a therapeutic target for early coronary atherosclerosis in humans.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis. Current prognostic evaluation in AL cardiomyopathy (AL-CM) largely relies upon disparate proxy measurements to assess mortality. With respect to observed myocardial volume changes between systole and diastole, we describe a single measurement derived from cardiac MRI (CMR) to assess mortality of AL-CM. Methods: A cohort of 129 consecutive patients with AL-CM undergoing CMR with amyloid protocol from the years 2001 - 1997 was reviewed. Myocardial volume change at end systole and end diastole was assessed by disc summation with CMR. The myocardial function index (MFI) was calculated by consolidating blood pool and myocardial volume measures as confluent components of myocardial function utilizing operator tracings. The association of MFI and death was assessed with adjusted hazard ratios (HR) derived by a Cox model. Results: Data at time of CMR was reviewed. The mean age was 60 ±10; 68% subjects were female. Median survival from CMR was 47 months. Mean LVEF was assessed by echocardiography to be 55% ± 12. Mean calculated MFI was 19.8% ±7. Univariate analysis suggested MFI is strongly associated with death (HR 0.004; 95%CI 0.00002-0.0838; p = 0.0003). A multivariate analysis re-demonstrated the strong predictive value of MFI when controlled for age (HR 0.006; 95%CI 0.00003 - 0.1156; p = 0.0006). Conclusion: MFI strongly correlates with mortality in AL-CM. In contrast to previously described assessments of ventricular function (extracellular volume imaging, myocardial perfusion imaging, and myocardial contraction fraction), MFI is easily derived from CMR and considers blood pool and myocardial volumes as confluent components of myocardial function. Further studies are needed to assess MFI amongst patients with varying etiologies of heart failure.

Abstract Aims We aimed to test the hypothesis that the presence of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) in peripheral blood cells is associated with coronary endothelial dysfunction, enhanced inflammatory markers, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).Methods and results We compared targeted next generation sequencing (35 CHIP related genes) between patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction (n = 123) and controls (n=65). Coronary endothelial dysfunction was defined by ≥ 20% decrease in coronary artery diameter (CAD) or ≤ 50% increase in coronary blood flow (CBF) in response to acetylcholine injection compared to baseline. Plasma cytokine levels of Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were also assessed. Patients were subsequently followed for 12.2 ± 4.3 years. Clonal hematopoiesis relevant gene mutations were found in 1 individual in normal endothelial function group (1.5%) and 11 cases in endothelial dysfunction group (9.3%) (p = 0.04). Additionally, CHIP mutations were associated with an increased risk of MACE (OR = 4.08, P = 0.04). Mutations in ASXL1, DNMT3A and TET2 in the endothelial dysfunction group were also associated with increased levels of IL-6 and IL-8 (P = 0.001, P = 0.003; respectively).Conclusion The current study demonstrates a high frequency of CHIP in patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction as well as an association between mutations in three most common epigenetic regulator genes and increased levels of IL-6 and IL-8. Therefore it infers a probable relationship between CHIP, endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular adverse events.