Korean Circulation Journal最新文献

{"title":"LV Functional Reserve Assessed by GLS Change During Exercise: A Missing Piece in HFpEF Risk Stratification.","authors":"Hong-Mi Choi","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2026.0256","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148865608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Stratified Association of Left Atrial Volume Index and Dynamic Change of Pulmonary Arterial Pressure on Prognosis After Catheter Ablation in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.","authors":"Yoon Jung Park, Jiwon Park, Min-Su Jung, Tae-Wan Chung, Hee Jeong Lee, Jongmin Hwang, Hyungseop Kim, Hyoung-Seob Park, In-Cheol Kim","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2026.0065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Catheter ablation is a key strategy for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF), yet recurrence remains frequent, particularly in persistent AF. This study evaluated echocardiographic parameters to predict post-ablation recurrence.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation and had both pre- and post-echocardiography between 2011 and March 2022 were enrolled. Post-ablation echocardiography was conducted within one week. Patients were stratified by median left atrial volume index (LAVI, 62 mL/m²) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP, 24 mmHg) on transthoracic echocardiography. The association between pre- and post-ablation PASP, stratified by LAVI size, and AF recurrence was then evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 494 patients were included. Those with LAVI ≤62 mL/m² and PASP ≤24 mmHg were younger, predominantly male, and had lower pulmonary vascular resistance and CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated the lowest AF recurrence rates in this group (p<0.01). Among patients with LAVI ≤62 mL/m², those with elevated pre- and post-ablation PASP had the highest recurrence rate (51%), while those with low pre- and post-ablation PASP had the lowest recurrence rate (19%) at one year. In patients with LAVI >62 mL/m², recurrence rates were generally higher (average 42%), and were less influenced by PASP variation. However, there was a trend toward a lower recurrence rate (32%) in patients with elevated pre-ablation PASP and low post-ablation PASP.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Integrating LAVI with changes in PASP showed differences in post-ablation recurrence rate in patients with persistent AF. Pre- and post-ablation echocardiographic assessment of PASP can provide important insights for post-procedural management.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitochondrial Transplantation: An Emerging Therapeutic Option for Cardiovascular Disease.","authors":"Suin Park, Jehee Jang, Young-Won Kim, Jae-Hong Ko, Sungguan Hong, Sung Hoon Lee, Kei Hayashida, Ki-Woon Kang","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2026.0074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) continue to impose the greatest global burden of death, and mitochondrial injury is increasingly recognized as a key pathological driver across ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrest, and heart failure. In this context, mitochondrial transplantation (MT) has gained attention as a promising therapeutic approach that directly addresses bioenergetic deficits by delivering functional mitochondria to compromised myocardium. This review examines current evidence for MT in CVD and evaluates its translational potential. We comprehensively reviewed preclinical studies and early clinical data on MT in CVD models, focusing on isolation techniques, delivery mechanisms, cellular uptake pathways, and therapeutic outcomes. Key databases were searched for relevant studies published through November 2025. MT demonstrates significant cardioprotective effects across diverse CVD models, including reduction in infarct size, restoration of adenosine triphosphate production, and improved functional recovery. Multiple cellular uptake mechanisms have been investigated, including actin-dependent endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and tunneling nanotubes. Advanced delivery strategies incorporating surface modifications, hydrogel platforms, and targeted peptides have improved mitochondrial stability and homing efficiency. Proposed mechanisms extend beyond bioenergetic rescue to include modulation of autophagy, oxidative stress reduction, and immunometabolic regulation. However, critical challenges remain regarding uptake efficiency, biodistribution, persistence, standardization protocols, and immunological considerations. MT represents a paradigm-shifting approach to cardiovascular therapeutics with encouraging preclinical results. Rigorous clinical trials with standardized methodologies are essential to establish safety, efficacy, and optimal implementation strategies for clinical translation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149194974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Neuraminidase-Induced Modification of LDL in the Progression of Atherosclerosis in ApoE-Knockout Mice.","authors":"Dmitry Alexandrovich Kashirskikh, Pyotr Romanovich Lebedev, Alexey Vasilievich Deykin, Gulalek Amanmyradovna Babayeva, Alexander Nikolaevich Orekhov, Igor Alexandrovich Sobenin","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2025.0481","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Desialylation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), defined as enzymatic removal of terminal sialic acids from apolipoprotein glycans, has been implicated in atherogenesis. However, its <i>in vivo</i> consequences remain unclear. We investigated whether sustained LDL desialylation induced by exogenous neuraminidase promotes atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-KO) mice under chow and Western diet conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>ApoE-KO mice received neuraminidase conjugated to mouse immunoglobulin G every 5 days for 6 weeks under chow or Western diet conditions (n=40 total). LDL sialic acid content, macrophage lipid loading, aortic lesion development, serum lipid profile, and markers of systemic toxicity were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Repeated neuraminidase administration induced sustained LDL desialylation, as shown by reduced LDL sialic acid content. LDL isolated from neuraminidase-treated ApoE-KO mice showed increased atherogenicity, reflected by greater cholesterol and lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 macrophages compared with LDL from untreated ApoE-KO mice. Neuraminidase administration increased aortic lesion area under chow diet conditions. Under chow diet conditions, neuraminidase primarily increased LDL cholesterol levels and the LDL/high-density lipoprotein ratio, while total cholesterol remained unchanged. Diet-associated elevations in liver-related biochemical markers were not exacerbated by neuraminidase treatment, and no evidence of overt renal or hematological toxicity was observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide <i>in vivo</i> evidence that sustained LDL desialylation enhances LDL atherogenicity and accelerates atherosclerotic lesion development in ApoE-KO mice. Exogenous neuraminidase may serve as a useful tool for modeling chronic LDL desialylation <i>in vivo</i> and highlights sialylation pathways as potential targets in atherosclerosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Korean Multicenter Registry of Ranger™ Paclitaxel Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease: K-Ranger Registry.","authors":"Chang-Hwan Yoon, Sun-Hwa Kim, Seung-Woon Rha, Young-Jin Choi, Sang-Hoon Shin, Gwang-Sil Kim, Sang-Min Kim, Young-Jin Yoon, Bong-Ki Lee, In-Ho Chae","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0459","DOIUrl":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0459","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) are widely used for femoropopliteal artery disease (PAD), yet device-specific data in Asian cohorts remain limited. The Ranger™ paclitaxel-coated balloon uses a low-dose formulation with the TransPax™ excipient, demonstrating favorable results in randomized trials. However, real-world Korean experience has not been systematically evaluated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a prospective, multicenter observational registry of consecutive patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal artery disease treated with the Ranger DCB at 8 Korean centers. The primary endpoint was primary clinical patency. Secondary endpoints included technical success, clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR), all-cause death, major or minor amputation, and sustained clinical improvement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 200 enrolled patients, 159 completed 12-month follow-up. Mean lesion length was 145.6±79.8 mm, and chronic total occlusions accounted for 43%. Technical success was 99.5%. At 12 months, the estimated primary clinical patency was 89.3%, TLR was 3.0% and sustained clinical improvement was 82.3%. The estimated all-cause death was 8.5%. Only minor amputation occurred in 2.7%. The predicted risk factors for the loss of primary clinical patency were chronic total occlusion, absence of distal runoff vessels, and diabetes mellitus.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this Korean multicenter registry, the Ranger DCB achieved high technical success and consistent 12-month outcomes despite the long and complex lesion characteristics. These findings support the safety and effectiveness of low-dose paclitaxel DCBs and a leave-nothing-behind strategy in contemporary femoropopliteal interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148725183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distal Radial Access for Large-Bore PCI: Expanding Feasibility, Preserving Prudence.","authors":"Chan Joon Kim","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2026.0226","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148865569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Diverticulum Masquerading Ventricular Septal Defect.","authors":"Dongjin Lim, Eun-Jung Bae, Mi Kyoung Song, Woong-Han Kim","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0520","DOIUrl":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0520","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148724509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the \"Benign\" Label: Toward Phenotype-Specific Risk Stratification in Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.","authors":"Cheng-Han Chan, Fa-Po Chung","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0253","DOIUrl":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0253","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148724918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric Patients With Long QT Syndrome: A Korean Multicenter Cohort Study.","authors":"Mi Kyoung Song, So Yon Jun, Junghye Kwon, Ji Eun Ban, Hye Won Kwon, Young Hye Ryu, Seung Min Baek, Ah Young Kim, Mi Jin Kim, Jae Suk Baek, Ja Kyoung Yoon, Hee Joung Choi, Min Jung Cho, Chang Sin Kim, Insu Choi, Jihye You, Joung-Hee Byun, Heirim Lee, Jae Yoon Na, Jue Seong Lee, Youngkuk Cho, Joowon Lee, Lucy Youngmin Eun, Young Tae Lim, June Huh, Eun-Jung Bae","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2025.0506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2025.0506","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Most studies on long QT syndrome (LQTS) have been conducted in Western populations, with limited data from Asian countries. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and risk factors for arrhythmic events in Korean pediatric patients with LQTS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study of 202 pediatric patients with LQTS. Risk factors for life-threatening arrhythmic events (LAEs) and breakthrough cardiac events (BCEs) were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age at diagnosis was 8.2±5.6 years. Among 179 patients who underwent genetic testing, 72% carried pathogenic variants-most commonly LQT1 (35%), followed by LQT2 (15%) and LQT3 (8%). Independent risk factors for lifetime LAEs included LQT2 and LQT3 (vs. LQT1, hazard ratio [HR], 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.08-14.68; and HR, 8.38; 95% CI, 2.79-25.19; respectively), fetal arrhythmia (HR, 14.8), QTc ≥500 ms (HR, 2.6), and propranolol or nadolol (HR, 0.25). BCEs occurred in 29% of patients; female sex, prior arrhythmic syncope or seizure, and QTc ≥500 ms were identified as risk factors. Pathogenic KCNQ1 S6-segment variants were associated with a higher risk of LAEs than other LQT1, LQT2, and LQT3 genotypes (HR, 26.8).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This multicenter Korean cohort demonstrates genotype-phenotype patterns and highlights the contribution of fetal arrhythmia, female sex, QTc, and beta-blocker use to arrhythmic risk stratification in pediatric LQTS. These results support early diagnosis and genotype- and phenotype-guided management and highlight the need for international studies to refine risk stratification in diverse populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148865630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Durability and Safety of PULSTA Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve: Insights From Five-Year Nationwide Post-Marketing Surveillance Study in Korea.","authors":"Kyung-Jin Ahn, Gi Beom Kim, Sang Yun Lee, Seong Ho Kim, So-Ick Jang, Jae Young Choi, Chang Sin Kim, I-Seok Kang, Jinyoung Song, Jeong Jin Yu, Seul Gi Cha, Myung Chul Hyun, Young Tae Lim, Hyoung Doo Lee, Hoon Ko, Tae-Jin Youn, In Ho Chae, Hong Ryang Kil, Gee Na Kim, Hwa Jin Cho, Jae Young Lee, Ju Ae Shin","doi":"10.4070/kcj.2026.0016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2026.0016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Data on the real-world performance of PULSTA™ transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation (TPVI) in patients with native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) dysfunction remain limited. We aim to evaluate the real-world safety and mid-term effectiveness of the self-expanding PULSTA™ transcatheter pulmonary valve in patients with native RVOT dysfunction.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multicenter, prospective, post-marketing surveillance study enrolled 299 patients who underwent PULSTA™ TPVI at 11 tertiary centers in South Korea between October 2019 and September 2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age was 28.6±11.5 years, and 50.2% were male; tetralogy of Fallot was the most common underlying diagnosis (84.3%). Procedural success was achieved in 99% of the patients. All patients had moderate or severe pulmonary regurgitation at baseline, which improved to mild or less during follow-up after valve implantation. New York Heart Association functional class improved in 78.8% of patients by at least 1 class at 1 year. No deaths occurred during the follow-up. Serious procedure- or device-related adverse events occurred in 6 patients (2.0%). Catheter-based re-interventions were not required. Four patients underwent surgical reoperation for valve embolization (n=1), valve dislocation (n=2), or infective endocarditis (n=1).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PULSTA™ TPVI demonstrated favorable mid-term safety and sustained functional and hemodynamic outcomes in a real-world population with native RVOT dysfunction.</p>","PeriodicalId":17850,"journal":{"name":"Korean Circulation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148669670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}