2 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Ventricular tachycardia (VT, a potentially fatal condition where the ventricle of the heart beats rapidly) superimposed on non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM, a disease of heart with broad etiologies except coronary artery disease). This disease has been associated with inflammation in the heart. The purpose of this study is to assess the benefit of immunosuppressive therapy to suppress the VT, improve heart function, avoid invasive intervention and hospitalization. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging shows inflammation in the heart. After enrollment, baseline tests (including physical exams, blood tests, genetic test, electrocardiography, echocardiography) will be done. Next, will be an 8-week medication regimen which contains either immunosuppressive drugs or standard GDMT without immunosuppressant medication. Some of the examinations will be repeated during the study to evaluate the treatment response and monitor any adverse events.
Arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy (AVC) is a genetic condition which affects the heart and can lead to heart failure and rhythm problems, of which, sudden cardiac arrest or death is the most tragic and dangerous. Diagnosis and screening of blood-relatives is very difficult as the disease process can be subtle, but sufficient enough, so that the first event is sudden death. The Mayo Clinic AVC Registry is a collaboration between Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA and Papworth Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK. The investigators aim to enroll patients with a history of AVC or sudden cardiac death which may be due to AVC, from the US and UK. Family members who are blood-relatives will also be invited, including those who do not have the condition. Data collected include symptoms, ECG, echocardiographic, MRI, Holter, loop recorder, biopsies, exercise stress testing, blood, buccal and saliva samples. Objectives of the study: 1. Discover new genes or altered genes (variants) which cause AVC 2. Identify biomarkers which predict (2a) disease onset, (2b) disease progression, (2c) and the likelihood of arrhythmia (ventricular, supra-ventricular and atrial fibrillation) 3. Correlate genotype with phenotype in confirmed cases of AVC followed longitudinally using clinical, electrocardiographic and imaging data. 4. Characterize desmosomal changes in buccal mucosal cells with genotype and validate with gold-standard endomyocardial biopsies