Endotrophin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 levels in bicuspid aortic valve and hypertension associated aortopathy and their relationship with strain parameters of the ascending aorta.

Objective: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect. Ascending aorta dilatation is related to BAV- and hypertension (HTN)-associated aortopathy. The aim of this study was to investigate aortic elasticity, as well as aortic deformation of the ascending aorta, using strain imaging, and to evaluate the possible relationship of biomarkers, such as endotrophin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), with ascending aorta dilatation in patients with BAV- or HTN-associated aortopathy.

Gradual Versus Abrupt Reperfusion During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (GUARD).

Background Intramyocardial edema and hemorrhage are key pathological mechanisms in the development of reperfusion-related microvascular damage in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. These processes may be facilitated by abrupt restoration of intracoronary pressure and flow triggered by primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We investigated whether pressure-controlled reperfusion via gradual reopening of the infarct-related artery may limit microvascular injury in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

The relation of echo-derived lateral MAPSE to left heart functions and biochemical markers in patients with preserved ejection fraction: Short-term prognostic implications.

Objective: Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) is a simple way to evaluate-left ventricle (LV) function. Our aim was to explain the relationship of MAPSE with LV function and biochemical markers in patients with preserved ejection fraction (EF), and to determine whether it has an effect on prognosis in echocardiography (echo) practice.

Methods: Consecutive patients referred to the echo laboratory between November 2020 and March 2021 were included in the study.

Intracardiac masses: Single center experience within 12 years: I-MASS Study.

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study was to review and classify cardiac masses systematically and to determine their frequencies.

Methods: The medical records of 64,862 consecutive patients were investigated within 12 years. Every patient with a cardiac mass imaged by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and confirmed with an advanced imaging modality such as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), computed tomography (CT) and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) was included.

Investigation of Scavenger Receptor Class B Type I gene variants in patients with coronary heart disease with a history of early myocardial infarction.

Objective: The scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI, SCARB1), which is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor that mediates selective cholesteryl ester uptake, plays an important role in reverse cholesterol transport. This study investigated the distribution of polymorphic variants of the SR-BI gene in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) with a history of early myocardial infarction (MI) at an early age and their effects on their serum lipid levels.

Methods: SR-BI rs5888(T>C), rs4238001(C>T), and rs10846744(G>C) were analyzed in 100 male patients with CHD with a history of MI (MI+) who were younger than 50 years and 89 male control subjects without MI history (MI-) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and mutant-allele-specific PCR techniques.

Role of global longitudinal strain in discriminating variant forms of left ventricular hypertrophy and predicting mortality.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to compare the functional adaptations of the left ventricle in variant forms of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and to evaluate the use of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in differential diagnosis and prognosis.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 68 patients with LVH, including 20 patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 23 competitive top-level athletes free of cardiovascular disease, and 25 patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD). All the subjects underwent 2D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 2D-STE.

Impairment of right ventricular longitudinal strain associated with severity of pneumonia in patients recovered from COVID-19.

Myocardial injury caused by COVID-19 was reported in hospitalized patients previously. But the information about cardiac consequences of COVID-19 after recovery is limited. The aim of the study was comprehensive echocardiography assessment of right ventricular (RV) in patients recovered from COVID-19.

Evaluation the relationship of left ventricular global longitudinal strain and laboratory parameters in discharged patients with COVID-19: a follow-up study.

Background: The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) disease has spread rapidly and posed a great threat to global public health. The laboratory parameters and clinical outcomes of the disease in discharged patients remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the laboratory and echocardiographic findings of patients with COVID-19 after discharge and the relation between left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and inflammatory parameters in discharged patients.

Prior angina reduces ıschemic mitral regurgitation in patients with ST-Elevation myocardial ınfarction, role of ıschemic preconditioning.

Mitral regurgitation may develop due to left ventricular (LV) remodeling within 3 months following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is called ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been reported as the most important mechanism of the association between prior angina and the favorable outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior angina on the development and severity of IMR at 3rd month in patients with ST elevation MI (STEMI).

Obstructive mechanical mitral valve thrombosis and gastric adenocarcinoma: A therapeutic dilemma.

Fibrinolysis is an option for the management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis when surgery has prohibitive risks. Current guidelines suggest recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (not to exceed 100 mg) with unfractionated heparin. A low-dose (25 mg) alteplase regimen as treatment in patients with a high risk of bleeding warrants further research.

[Investigation of metabolic effects of CETP gene rs289714 variation in coronary artery patients: A case-control study].

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the CETP gene rs289714 polymorphism on the serum lipid profile and other metabolic parameters in Turkish patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: The CETP rs289714 variant was examined in 104 patients with CAD and 77 controls using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results: The CETP rs289714 genotype and allele distribution was not statistically different between the groups (p>0.

The Interplay between Features of Plaque Vulnerability and Hemodynamic Relevance of Coronary Artery Stenoses.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) may not be immune from hemodynamic perturbations caused by both vessel and lesion related factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of plaque- and vessel wall-related features of vulnerability on the hemodynamic effect of intermediate coronary stenoses. Methods and Results: In this cross-sectional study, patients referred to catheterization laboratory for clinically indicated coronary angiography were prospectively screened for angiographically intermediate stenosis (50-80%).

Reducing Aortic Barotrauma and Vascular Extracellular Matrix Degradation by Pacemaker-Mediated QRS Widening.

Background The extent of pressure-related damage might be related to acceleration rate of the applied pressure (peak dP/dt) in the vascular system. In this study, we sought to determine whether dP/dt applied to the aortic wall (aortic dP/dt) and in turn vascular extracellular matrix degradation can be mitigated via modulation of left ventricular (LV) contractility (LV dP/dt) by pacemaker-mediated desynchronization. Methods and Results First, in 34 patients, changes in aortic dP/dt values in 3 aortic segments in response to pacemaker-mediated stepwise QRS widening leading to gradual desynchronization of the LV contraction by means of steadily changed atrioventricular delay (AVD) with temporary dual-chamber pacing was examined before and after beta-blocker (15 mg IV metoprolol) administration.

Noncoronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm resembling a cystic cardiac mass.

A sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare cardiac anomaly, and it is usually clinically silent. However, it may lead to symptoms when it compresses adjacent cardiac structures. Herein, we would like to report a 45-year-old lady with exertional dyspnea who was first diagnosed with having a cystic cardiac mass on transthoracic echocardiogram.

Treatment of Libman-Sacks endocarditis by combination of warfarin and immunosuppressive therapy.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a clinical disorder that creates an increased risk of arterial or venous thrombotic events or pregnancy-associated complications and includes the presence of autoantibodies against negatively charged phospholipids. This syndrome is often associated with systemic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a form of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis and is infrequently seen in APS.

Genetic polymorphisms of the SHBG gene can be the effect on SHBG and HDL-cholesterol levels in Coronary Heart Disease: a case-control study.

Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) level is positively associated with the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the SHBG gene variations (D356N, rs1799941, and P156L) on SHBG and HDL-C levels and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk. The SHBG D356 N (rs6259,G > A), P156L (rs6258,C > T), and rs1799941(G > A) polymorphisms were determined in 131 male CHD patients and 55 male controls by PCR-RFLP and real-time PCR techniques.

BMP1 5'UTR + 104 T/C gene variation: can be a predictive marker for serum HDL and apoprotein A1 levels in male patients with coronary heart disease.

Apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), the major protein of HDL, is secreted as a proprotein and then is cleaved by C-terminal procollagen endoproteinase/bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP1). BMP1 stimulates the conversion of newly secreted proapo A1 to its phospholipid-binding form. Therefore, genetic variations of BMP1 gene may affect serum ApoA1 and HDL levels.

Are IVS4 SNPs of OLR1 gene associated with coronary artery disease: Is there a linkage between IVS4 SNPs?

Background: The OLR1 gene has been identified as a candidate gene for coronary artery disease (CAD). Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the OLR1 gene located within intron 4 (IVS4-27G>C, IVS4-73C>T, IVS4-14A>G), intron 5 (IVS5-70A>G, IVS5-27G>T) and 3'UTR (188C>T) comprise a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, which is strongly associated with the elevated risk of CAD.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of the OLR1 IVS4-14A>G and -73C>T SNPs on metabolic parameters in Turkish CAD patients, and the linkage between these 2 genetic variants.

Association Between the Interferon Gamma 874 T/A Polymorphism and the Severity of Valvular Damage in Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays an important role in modulating almost all phases of the immune response and may be responsible for the increased valvular fibrosis and calcification in the pathogenesis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism and the severity of valvular damage in the Turkish population. The IFN-γ genotypes were determined in 152 RHD patients and 151 healthy controls by ARMS-PCR.

Influence of coronary calcification patterns on hemodynamic outcome of coronary stenoses and remodeling.

Objective: The histological characteristics of plaque may affect the hemodynamic outcome of a given coronary stenosis. In particular, the potential effect of volumetric calcium content and the topographical distribution in the lesion segment on physiological outcome has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to identify any potential correlation between patterns of calcification and the fractional flow reserve (FFR) and the coronary remodeling index (RMI).