Unified adult transthoracic echocardiographic report: an expert consensus document of the Egyptian Working Group of Echocardiography.

Background: Physicians face complexity in interpreting the results of echocardiography (ECHO) due to the variability across ECHO laboratories. Many international organizations published reports to reduce the inter-variability in ECHO reporting. However, with the evolution of imaging modalities, significant improvements in ECHO reporting are essential to eliminate any previous discrepancies.

Intracoronary adenosine compared with adrenaline and verapamil in the treatment of no-reflow phenomenon following primary PCI in STEMI patients.

Background: no-reflow can complicate up to 25% of pPCI and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to compare the outcomes of intracoronary epinephrine and verapamil with intracoronary adenosine in the treatment of no-reflow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

Methods: 108 STEMI patients had no-reflow during pPCI were assigned into four groups.

Detection and Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis in Egypt.

Cardiac amyloidosis is a life-threatening disease that occurs when amyloid proteins, most commonly immunoglobulin light chain or transthyretin, mutate or become unstable, misfold, deposit as amyloid fibrils, and accumulate in the myocardium. Early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis is hindered by insufficient awareness, specifically regarding clinical red flags and diagnostic pathways. Cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis comprises two important phases, clinical suspicion (phase one) followed by definitive diagnosis (phase two).

Prognostic impact of pre-interventional culprit artery thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is considered the most preferred strategy in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the prognostic role of spontaneous re-canalization in STEMI patients is still not clear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of pre-procedural TIMI flow grade in the culprit coronary artery on the short and long term prognosis in Egyptian patients presented with STEMI and treated with primary PCI.

Correction to: Rapid guide to the management of cardiac patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt: "a position statement of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology".

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Rapid guide to the management of cardiac patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt: "a position statement of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology".

COVID-19 pandemic poses an enormous challenge to healthcare system in Egypt. This document is a position statement from the Egyptian Society of Cardiology. It aims to provide information to cardiovascular healthcare providers in Egypt to guarantee delivery of quality patient care and ensure adequate levels of protection against infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efficacy and safety of amlodipine/valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide single pill combination in Egyptian patients with hypertension uncontrolled on any dual therapy: an observational study.

Hypertension is a serious health problem in Egypt, with prevalence rate of 17% as reported in 2015. Despite receiving treatment, many do not achieve blood pressure (BP) control. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of amlodipine/valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide (Aml/Val/HCTZ) single pill combination (SPC) in patients with hypertension from Egypt, who were uncontrolled on any dual therapy.

Review of Diabetic Polyneuropathy: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Management According to the Consensus of Egyptian Experts.

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a complex and multifactorial entity in which various factors besides hyperglycemia play an important role. Symptoms of DPN are sensory, motor or autonomic. Intensive research proved that oxidative stress is the common denominator for the four major destructive pathways of hyperglycemia including increased hexosamine pathway flux, activation of Protein kinase-C (PKC) pathway, increased Advanced Glycated End-products (AGEs) formation, and increased Polyol Pathway flux.

Prevalence of lipid abnormalities and cholesterol target value attainment in Egyptian patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Effective management of hyperlipidemia is of utmost importance for prevention of recurring cardiovascular events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Indeed, guidelines recommend a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level of <70 mg/dL for such patients. The Dyslipidemia International Study II (DYSIS II) - Egypt was initiated in order to quantify the prevalence and extent of hyperlipidemia in patients presenting with an ACS in Egypt.

Association of Thrombospondin-1 (N700S) and Thrombospondin-4 (A387P) Gene Polymorphisms with the Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Egyptians.

Background: Thrombospondin (TSP) 1 and 4 are extracellular matrix glycoproteins that me- diate cell proliferation, platelet aggregation and inflammatory response. Conflicting data addressed the possible contribution of TSP-1 and TSP-4 gene polymorphisms to acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Objective: Our study aimed to examine the association of TSP-1 (N700S) and TSP-4 (A387P) genetic variants with the incidence of AMI in Egyptians.

Peripheral leucocytes and tissue gene expression of granzyme B/perforin system and serpinB9: Impact on inflammation and insulin resistance in coronary atherosclerosis.

Aim: The imbalance between proapoptotic granzyme B (GZB)/perforin (PRF) system and proteinase inhibitor-9 (PI-9; serpinB9); the only known inhibitor of human GZB, has been demonstrated in atherosclerosis. However, their role in atherosclerosis with the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) as well as their contribution to hallmarks of atherosclerosis is not clear.

Subjects And Methods: ELISA for serum insulin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and GZB levels in atherosclerotic coronary artery diseases (CAD) patients were estimated in comparison to apparently healthy controls, while GZB, PRF and PI-9 mRNA expression levels were quantified by Taqman RT-PCR in both peripheral leucocytes and atherosclerotic tissues.

Efficacy and Safety of Local Intracoronary Drug Delivery in Treatment of No-Reflow Phenomenon: A Pilot Study.

Background: Successful reopening of epicardial coronary artery does not always mean optimal myocardial reperfusion in a sizable portion of patients, mostly because of no-reflow phenomenon.

Objectives: We investigated whether local injection of adrenaline ± verapamil in the distal coronary bed is more effective than their intracoronary (IC) injection through the guiding catheter in the treatment of no-reflow phenomenon following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 40 patients with no-reflow following PCI were randomized into two groups.

Plasma granzyme B in ST elevation myocardial infarction versus non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome: comparisons with IL-18 and fractalkine.

Objective: The proapoptotic protein, granzyme B (GZB), was identified as a contributor to the atherosclerotic plaque instability and recently as inflammatory activator. We studied the release kinetics of GZB and other markers of inflammation such as high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin 18 (IL-18), and fractalkine (FKN) in the early phase after acute cardiac events in different ACS subgroups.

Methods: Thirty-six nondiabetic patients with ACS were compared to 12 control subjects.