Serum Levels of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate serum plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their relationship with clinical findings and treatment of disease.

Methods: The study included 125 PD patients and 48 healthy controls. Patients have been taking effective dopaminergic treatment regularly.

Free estradiol index levels associated with high sensitivity CRP levels in male children.

Ağırbaşlı M, Tanrıkulu A, Azizy M. Free estradiol index levels associated with high sensitivitiy CRP levels in male children. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 49-55.

Metabolic Syndrome: Bridging the Gap from Childhood to Adulthood.

Childhood and adolescence are particularly vulnerable periods of life to the effects of cardiometabolic risk and later development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Developing countries with limited resources suffer most heavily from the consequences of cardiometabolic risk in children and its future implications to the global health burden. A better understanding of mechanisms leading to cardiometabolic risk in early life may lead to more effective prevention and intervention strategies to reduce metabolic stress in children and later disease.

Acute Exacerbation Impairs Right Ventricular Function in COPD Patients.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may impair right ventricular (RV) function. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is helpful in the noninvasive evaluation of RV longitudinal function. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of acute COPD exacerbation on RV function assessed by TDI.

Total cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio predicts high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in Turkish children.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a biomarker of continued long-term systemic inflammation and cardiovascular (CV) risk.

Objective: To analyze the association of hs-CRP levels with CV risk factors in healthy school children.

Methods: The study sample was derived from a survey on the prevalence of CV risk factors (dyslipidemia, obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance in school children.

Serum paraoxonase-1 activity in children: the effects of obesity and insulin resistance.

Oxidative stress (OS) is important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an enzyme found in the circulation associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL-associated enzyme PON1 has an important role in the attenuation of atherogenic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation.

Triple therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel and oral anticoagulant) after percutaneous coronary intervention: another call for personalized medicine.

Studies indicate that 5-7% patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have an indication for anticoagulation therapy. Most commonly atrial fibrillation (AF) is the indication. These subjects require triple therapy with aspirin, clopidogrel, and an oral anticoagulant (OAC).

Pleural fluid amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide in patients with pleural effusions.

Background: Definite diagnosis of transudative or exudative pleural fluids often presents a diagnostic dilemma. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in pleural fluid has a diagnostic value for discriminating heart-failure-related pleural effusions from non-heart-failure effusions.

Methods: Sixty-six subjects (40 male, mean age 61 ± 18 y) with pleural effusions were included.

Aspirin resistance in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Aspirin is used in ischemic stroke therapy. However, some patients are not responsive to the antithrombotic action of aspirin. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of aspirin resistance in stroke patients and its association with mortality.

Polymorphisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between AF and polymorphisms in RAS. One hundred and fifty patients with AF, 100 patients with no documented episode of AF and 100 healthy subjects were consecutively recruited into the study.

Aspirin resistance in patients with chronic renal failure.

Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Aspirin resistance worsens clinical prognosis. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of aspirin resistance in CRF.

Aspirin resistance in hypertensive patients.

Aspirin resistance is associated with poor clinical prognosis. The authors investigated aspirin resistance in 200 hypertensive patients (111 men, age: 68.3±11.

Acute exacerbation impairs endothelial function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: The effect of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to assess the endothelial function of COPD patients during acute exacerbations.

Study Design: The study included 30 consecutive patients (8 women, 22 men; mean age 64.

Perindopril decreases P wave dispersion in patients with stage 1 hypertension.

Introduction: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors prevent atrial fibrillation episodes by effective control of blood pressure and improving electrical and structural remodelling in the atria. Increased P wave dispersion (PWD) is a non-invasive electrocardiographic marker for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of perindopril treatment on PWD in hypertensive patients.

P wave dispersion increases during hemodialysis sessions.

Background/aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common among hemodialysis (HD) patients and is associated with high mortality. P wave dispersion (PWD) is a noninvasive electrocardiographic marker of paroxysmal AF. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of HD session on PWD.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia: is DD genotype helpful in predicting syncope risk?

Introduction: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is a heritable disorder characterised by fibrofatty replacement of right ventricular myocytes and increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism affects myocardial ACE levels. DD genotype favours myocardial fibrosis and is associated with malignant ventricular tachycardia.

Large apical thrombus in a patient with persistent heart failure and hypereosinophilia: Löffler endocarditis.

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is an uncommon leukoproliferative systemic disorder characterized by the overproduction of eosinophils and poor prognosis. A major source of morbidity and mortality of this syndrome is the associated cardiac involvement represented by endocardial thickening and mural thrombi. We report a 64-year-old woman with persistent symptoms of heart failure despite standard medical therapy.

The acute effect of cardiac pacing mode on endothelial vasodilation: prospective, double-blind, cross-over, comparative clinical study.

Background: Compared to atrioventricular sequential pacing, ventricular demand pacing is known to have somewhat more deleterious hemodynamic effects, which probably arise from increased sympathetic tonus and inappropriate baroreceptor activation. Endothelial function is affected by various local and systemic factors including baroreceptor activity. The aim of this study was to explore whether cardiac pacing would have any effect on endothelial functions.

A pedunculated left ventricular hemangioma initially misdiagnosed as thrombus in a woman with atypical chest pain.

The incidence of cardiac masses increased as echocardiography is becoming increasingly popular. Benign tumors of the heart constitute about 72% of all primary cardiac neoplasms and hemangioma accounts for 5-10% of benign cardiac tumors. Cardiac hemangiomas are generally asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally during echocardiography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Inferior vena caval tumor thrombus extending into the right atrium in a patient with pancreatic cancer.

Venous thromboembolism is a common complication in patients with cancer and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Idiopathic thrombosis, migratory or recurrent thrombophlebitis may be the first manifestation of an occult malignancy. While deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are the most common thrombotic conditions in patients with malignant disease, tumor thrombus may be seen in inferior vena cava, mainly in patients with renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, testicular tumors or adrenal carcinoma.