The association of myocardial strain with cardiac magnetic resonance and clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocarditis.

Introduction: The role of myocardial strain in risk prediction for acute myocarditis (AMC) patients, measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), deserves further investigation. Our objective was to evaluate the association between myocardial strain measured by CMR and clinical events in AMC patients.

Material And Methods: This was a prospective single-center study of patients with AMC.

Diagnostic Performance of Coronary Tomography Angiography and Serial Measurements of Sensitive Cardiac Troponin in Patients With Chest Pain and Intermediate Risk for Cardiovascular Events.

Background: Coronary tomography angiography (CTA) has been mainly used for chest pain evaluation in low-risk patients, and few data exist regarding patients at intermediate risk.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of serial measures of sensitive troponin and CTA in intermediate-risk patients.

Methods: A total of 100 patients with chest pain, TIMI risk scores of 3 or 4, and negative troponin were prospectively included.

Is There Any Relationship between TSH Levels and Prognosis in Acute Coronary Syndrome?

Background: Some small studies have related higher levels of thyrotropin (TSH) to potentially worse prognosis in acute coronary syndromes. However, this relationship remains uncertain.

Objective: To analyze the outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndromes in relation to the value of TSH at admission.

Sensitive Troponin I Assay in Patients with Chest Pain - Association with Significant Coronary Lesions with or Without Renal Failure.

Introduction: Despite having higher sensitivity as compared to conventional troponins, sensitive troponins have lower specificity, mainly in patients with renal failure.

Objective: Study aimed at assessing the sensitive troponin I levels in patients with chest pain, and relating them to the existence of significant coronary lesions.

Methods: Retrospective, single-center, observational.

Complete Treatment Versus Residual Lesion - Long-Term Evolution After Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Introduction: A recently published study raised doubts about the need for percutaneous treatment of nonculprit lesions in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Methods: Retrospective, unicentric, observational study.

Objective: To analyze the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing treatment of the culprit artery, comparing those who remained with significant residual lesions in nonculprit arteries (group I) versus those without residual lesions in other coronary artery beds (group II).

Mortality reduction with use of oral beta-blockers in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Objectives:: Recent studies have revealed a relationship between beta-blocker use and worse prognosis in acute coronary syndrome, mainly due to a higher incidence of cardiogenic shock. However, the relevance of this relationship in the reperfusion era is unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome that started oral beta-blockers within the first 24 hours of hospital admission (group I) compared to patients who did not use oral beta-blockers in this timeframe (group II).

Fondaparinux versus Enoxaparin - Which is the Best Anticoagulant for Acute Coronary Syndrome? - Brazilian Registry Data.

Background:: Recent studies have shown fondaparinux's superiority over enoxaparin in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS), especially in relation to bleeding reduction. The description of this finding in a Brazilian registry has not yet been documented.

Objective:: To compare fondaparinux versus enoxaparin in in-hospital prognosis of non-ST elevation ACS.

Plasma cytokine profile in tropical endomyocardial fibrosis: predominance of TNF-a, IL-4 and IL-10.

Background: The participation of immune/inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of tropical endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) has been suggested by the finding of early blood and myocardial eosinophilia. However, the inflammatory activation status of late-stage EMF patients is still unknown.

Methodology/principal Findings: We evaluated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in plasma samples from late stage EMF patients.

Adenosine deaminase inhibition prevents Clostridium difficile toxin A-induced enteritis in mice.

Toxin A (TxA) is able to induce most of the classical features of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in animal models. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase, EHNA [erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)-adenine], on TxA-induced enteritis in C57BL6 mice and on the gene expression of adenosine receptors. EHNA (90 μmol/kg) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was injected intraperitoneally (i.