Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio for Patients Undergoing Heart Valve Replacement.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio (NLR) was found to be a predictor of adverse outcome in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The ratio may also be a useful marker to predict mortality following valve replacement surgery.

Methods: A total of 932 patients was enrolled retrospectively.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with atrial electrical and mechanical dysfunction.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the left atrial (LA) electrical and mechanical functions in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Subjects And Methods: The study population consisted of 87 patients with MetS and 67 controls. Intra-atrial and interatrial electromechanical delays (EDs) were measured with tissue Doppler imaging.

The presence of fragmented QRS on 12-lead ECG in patients with coronary slow flow.

Background: Coronary slow flow (CSF) is characterised by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the absence of epicardial occlusive disease. It has been reported that CSF may cause angina, myocardial ischaemia, and infarction. Fragmentation of QRS complex (fQRS) is an easily evaluated non-invasive electrocardiographic parameter.

Impact of admission blood glucose levels on prognosis of elderly patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: Admission hyperglycemia in acute myocardial infarction (MI) is related with increased in-hospital and long term mortality and major cardiac adverse events. We aimed to investigate how admission hyperglycemia affects the short and long term outcomes in elderly patients (> 65 years) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 677 consecutive elderly patients (mean age 72.

Coexisting bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves with normally related great vessels diagnosed by live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Coexistence of bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves in the same patient is a very rare entity identified mainly during surgery and postmortem. To the best of our knowledge, only one case has been diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography in a newborn with malposition of the great arteries but no images were presented. Here, we are reporting the first case of bicuspid pulmonary and aortic valves diagnosed by live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in an adult with normally related great arteries.

[CyberKnife can cause inappropriate shock].

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have been increasingly used to treat life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Although they have life-saving capabilities, they are very sensitive to electromagnetic energy sources. It has been reported that many problems associated with the detection of tachyarrhythmias and termination of the mechanism of the ICDs occur due to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

The primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute anterior myocardial infarction in a middle-aged male patient with bilateral coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistulas.

A 38-year-old man admitted to emergency department with 2 h of typical substernal chest pain, shortness of breath and nausea. The ECG revealed sinus rhythm with a 3 mm ST elevation in precordial leads V1-V6. The coronary angiography revealed acute total occlusion in left anterior descending artery (LAD) with normal circumflex and right coronary artery (RCA) along with bilateral fistulas arising from the proximal LAD and ostial RCA draining into the main pulmonary artery.

Long-term effect of bosentan therapy on cardiac function and symptomatic benefits in adult patients with Eisenmenger syndrome.

Background: Bosentan improves symptoms in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES). This study evaluated the effect of long-term bosentan therapy on cardiac function and its relation to symptomatic benefits in ES patients.

Methods And Results: Twenty-three consecutive adult ES patients (15 with ventricular septal defect, 6 with atrial septal defect, and 2 with patent ductus arteriosus) underwent standard and tissue Doppler echocardiography before and 24 ± 9 months after bosentan therapy.

Successful electrical cardioversion in a massive concentric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with atrial fibrillation.

A 59-year-old man with a known history of nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and chronic atrial fibrillation was admitted to our clinic with weakness, palpitation, and exertional dyspnea. Electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation with high ventricular rate (120 beats per minute), intraventricular conduction delay, and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with ST-segment depression and inverted T waves. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed massive LV concentric hypertrophy.

Serum paraoxonase 1 activity in women with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a leading risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in women. Reduced paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis through increased susceptibility to lipid peroxidation in patients with MetS.

Aim: To examine whether there is a relationship between serum PON1 activity and MetS in women.

Unusual cause of right ventricular outflow tract compression: mediastinal lipomatosis.

Mediastinal lipomatosis (ML) is a benign condition characterized by the accumulation of mature adipose tissue within the mediastinum. ML is usually associated with Cushing syndrome and obesity. Most patients are asymptomatic, but some have thoracic pain, dyspnea, cough, dysphonia, dysphagia, and supraventricular tachycardia.

[Pulmonary hypertension caused by left heart disease].

Increased resistance to pulmonary venous drainage is the main mechanism in pulmonary hypertension (PH) developing due to left heart disease. This condition may occur as a result of various diseases affecting left ventricle, left atrium, mitral or aortic valves. Pulmonary hypertension is the common and well-recognized complication of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension accompanying chronic heart failure is related to increased mortality.

The relationship between glucose tolerance and severity of coronary artery disease using the Gensini score.

Consecutive patients (n = 235) with coronary ischemia were studied; 69 patients (29%) had diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered to the 166 patients without diabetes; 76 (46%) had normal glucose tolerance (group I = NGT), 68 (41%) had impaired glucose tolerance ([IGT] group II = IGT), and 22 (13%) had diabetic glucose tolerance (DGT). The DGT patients were added to the known diabetics forming (Group III; n = 91).

The platelet functions in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: anti-TNF-alpha therapy decreases the mean platelet volume and platelet mass.

The present study was designed to investigate the interaction between platelet indices (mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet count (PLC) and platelet mass (PLM)), inflammatory markers and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) subjects. The effects of anti-TNF-alpha therapy and conventional treatment on platelet indices were also compared. We studied 68 patients with AS (group I, 46 men, age: 36.

Mean platelet volume in patients with slow coronary flow and its relationship with clinical presentation.

Objectives: We investigated mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) and its possible relationship with clinical presentation.

Study Design: The study included 50 patients with SCF and otherwise normal coronary arteries and 22 patients (control group) with normal coronary arteries. In the SCF group, there were 26 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP), and 24 patients with unstable angina pectoris (USAP).

Longitudinal left ventricular systolic function is impaired in patients with coronary slow flow.

Slow coronary flow (SCF) is a well recognized clinical entity, characterized by delayed opacification of coronary arteries in the presence of normal coronary angiogram. There is currently no data evaluating myocardial systolic function in SCF phenomenon. This study was performed to evaluate regional and global systolic function using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), strain (S) and strain rate imaging (SRI) in patients with slow coronary flow.

Factors associated with prolonged prehospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: We investigated factors associated with prolonged prehospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Study Design: A total of 439 patients (351 males, 88 females; mean age 57+/-12 years) with ST-elevation AMI were interviewed within 48 hours of hospitalization. Patients were pain-free and hemodynamically stable at the time of interview.

Effect of glucometabolic disorders on the formation of coronary collaterals in occlusive coronary artery disease.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of glucometabolic disorders on coronary collateral vessels in patients with occlusive coronary artery disease.

Methods And Results: Hundred and ninety-five consecutive patients with at least single-vessel occlusion were enrolled in this study prospectively. The standard oral glucose tolerance test was performed according to the criteria of the World Health Organization.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (T-786C) polymorphism in patients with slow coronary flow.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between T-786C polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and slow coronary flow (SCF).

Study Design: A total of 56 patients with SCF but otherwise normal coronary arteries (mean age 48+/-9 years) and 37 controls with normal coronary angiograms (mean age 50+/-12 years) were enrolled in the study. Screening for the eNOS T-786C polymorphism was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology.