Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy: usage patterns and response to treatment in Qatar over ten years.

Background: IVIg is a blood-derived antibody product initially designed as a replacement therapy in inborn errors of immunity (IEIs). However, over the last 50 years, IVIg has been used to treat a growing range of autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and secondary immunodeficiency disorders. The US FDA has licensed IVIg for use in the treatment of nine clinical indications; although, IVIg global usage extends to off-label indications with variable treatment responses.

Circulating microRNA signatures in patients with chronic Urticaria.

Chronic Urticaria (CU) is a complex skin disease that appears as recurrent raised itchy rash/angioedema or both for more than six weeks. The pathophysiology of CU is complex and has yet to be understood entirely. It is predominantly a mast cell-driven disease with the possible involvement of type 2 inflammation.

Left atrial deformation analysis as a predictor of severity of coronary artery disease.

Background: Two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking strain imaging is a novel method for assessment of regional myocardial deformation that uses tracking of acoustic speckles or kernels rather than Doppler myocardial velocities. It has been suggested that Left atrial (LA) strain as measured by 2D speckle tracking can be used to evaluate dynamic LA function.

Objective: To study the relation between left atrial deformation and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Assessment of left ventricular systolic function by tissue Doppler imaging in controlled versus uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients.

Aim: To detect and quantify early subtle left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction using Tissue Doppler Imaging in type 2 diabetic patients with apparently normal LV ejection fraction.

Methods: Ninety age and sex matched subjects were enrolled in the study, sixty of them were suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) whom were divided according to HbAlc into 2 groups, 30 uncontrolled diabetic patients with HbAlc > 8% and 30 controlled diabetic patients with HbAlc < 8% and a third group of 30 normal subjects served as controls. We excluded patients with inadequate Doppler signal, all structural heart diseases, systemic disorders with cardiac involvement and patients with false positive HbAlc.

Mitral leaflet separation index. An easy two dimensional echocardiography technique for assessment of mitral valve area before and after percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty.

Aim: To evaluate the reliability of the mitral leaflet separation (MLS) index against the traditional echocardiographic methods in measuring mitral valve area (MVA) pre and post percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV).

Methods: Ninety patients suffering symptomatic moderate to severe MS underwent PBMV at Ain Shams University Hospital in cardiology department. Seventy of the patients were females representing 77.

Clinical role of serum Copeptin in acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: To assess the role of Copeptin in diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in troponin-blind period.

Subjects And Methods: This study was conducted on 40 patients who presented to emergency department complaining of chest pain and were highly suspicious to have acute cardiac ischemia, in addition to 10 subjects serving as a healthy control group. Blood samples were collected for determination of CK-MB, cTnI and Copeptin.

Right ventricular function in patients presenting with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing an invasive approach.

Background: Right ventricular involvement in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) entails an increased morbidity and mortality. However, very scarce data is present on its affection in the setting of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Aim: To assess the affection of right ventricular function in patients presenting with NSTEMI undergoing an invasive procedure.

Pooled analysis of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in Egypt.

Background: Till now, no pooled analysis summarizing the Egyptian experience in percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) exists.

Objectives And Methods: To pool the data of PMV procedures and perform a new analysis regarding the immediate outcome and follow-up results as well as to compare the results of different techniques.

Results: Patients (2,256) with mitral stenosis of rheumatic origin were included, 292 males and 1,964 females.

Percutaneous mitral valvotomy versus closed surgical commissurotomy. Up to 15 years of follow-up of a prospective randomized study.

Background: Immediate and intermediate term results of percutaneous mitral valvotomy (PMV) are comparable to closed surgical commissurotomy (CSC). We aimed at exploring this relation in the long term.

Methods: Previously, we randomized 40 consecutive patients with moderate to severe mitral stenosis [defined as mitral valve area (MVA) less than 1.

Relationship between cardiovascular risk as predicted by established risk scores and coronary artery plaque composition as detected by virtual histology intravascular ultrasound analysis: the PREDICT pilot study.

Aims: Identification of subclinical high-risk plaques is potentially important because they may have greater likelihood for rupture and thrombosis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between in vivo coronary artery plaque composition using intravascular ultrasound virtual histology (IVUS-VH) and cardiovascular risk as predicted by clinical risk scores in patients with non-obstructive stable coronary artery disease.

Methods And Results: Forty patients undergoing elective coronary angiography revealing <50% coronary artery stenoses were prospectively included.