[Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis].

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a thin, non-sporulating, gram-positive rod found worldwide and hosted by many domestic or savage animals, birds, fish, and shell/fish. It is extremely resistant in the external environment (soil, surface waters). Human infection is prevalently related to occupational exposure to sick or infected contaminated animals (anthropozoonosis).

[Some aspects of degenerative mitral valve lesions encountered in medical practice].

In recent years, degenerative valvular heart diseases have the tendency to be equal in frequency with rheumatic valvular diseases. The maximum attention has been paid on the degenerative aortic stenosis as being a lesion with maximum frequency and a severe evolution. This study, given on the 18,391 admissions in the period 1997-2001, is a retrospective analysis and it is concerned with the degenerative mitral valvular lesions.

[Acute myocardial infarction with neurological symptoms: clinical and pathologic aspects].

A variety neurological symptoms can be the onset of an acute myocardial infarction. The study includes 96 patients who have undergone necropsies (from 1978 to 2003), hospitalized at the "Sfânta Treime" University Hospital, Iaşi, in the Neurology Clinic. They were admitted for various neurological manifestations: hemiparesis, hemiplegia, aphasia, coma of the 1st degree up to the 4th.

[HDL-cholesterol--active or passive participant in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis? (II)].

It is known that high sanguin levels of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDLc) have an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The treatment of hypercholesterolemia with statins and/or with fibrates have had beneficial effects on coronary heart disease and on other localization of atherosclerosis. The decreased of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol is the most important effect of this treatment.

[Implications of some risk factors in degenerative valvular heart diseases].

Unlabelled: A retrospective study on 223 patients diagnosed with degenerative heart valvular lesions: 124 women with an average of 74.9 years old and 99 men with an average of 70.1 years old with the lower limit under 50 years old (one woman and one man) and upper limit over 80 years old (22 women and 11 men) revealed that 109 patients (48.

[Cardio-thoracic index: marker of the clinical course of alcoholic dilated cardiomyopathy].

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a principal form of secondary dilated cardiomyopathy, can ensue from heavy consumption of alcohol over a long period of time. In harmful consumption, alcohol and its metabolites has a toxic effect on heart muscle cells. The clinical features include dilatation of the left ventricle, poor myocardial contractility and symptoms of heart failure.

[Analysis of some clinical aspects of degenerative valvular heart diseases in medical practice].

Unlabelled: In a period of 5 years there were 18,391 admissions; out of them 1129 cases were diagnosed with valvular lesions: 223 (19.7%) were degenerative valvular heart disease, 608 (53.8%) had rheumatismal valvular lesions, 7 (0.

[Myocardial remodeling].

Chamber remodeling and myocardial systolic dysfunction play an important role in the development of cardiac failure after myocardial infarction. The process is accompanied by qualitative and quantitative changes in the expression and reexpression of genes regulating cell growth and contractile function. The article tries to explain some of the mechanisms of the myocardial remodeling that permit the modifications and adaptation of the heart to normal and pathological conditions from a clinical point of view and, in the same time, from a molecular point of view.

[Some aspects regarding degenerative mitral valvular lesions encountered in medical practice].

In the last years, the degenerative valvular heart diseases have the tendency to equalize in frequency the rheumatismal valvular diseases. The maximum attention has been paid on the degenerative aortic stenosis as being a lesion with maximum frequency and a severe evolution. This study, given on the 18391 admissions in the period 1997-2001, is a retrospective analyse and it is concerned with the degenerative mitral valvular lesions.

[Undesirable effects and interaction to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors therapy].

Unlabelled: By their intervention upon the mechanisms regulating the vascular tone, renal plasma flow and direct actions of chemical structures, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may determine undesirable effects. These effects formed the object of a 5-year retrospective study (1995-1999) carried out at the IIIrd Medical Clinic of Iasi. During this interval ACE inhibitors were administrated to 2178 patients with hypertensive and coronary disorders or heart failure of various causes.

[The implications of thromboembolism in chronic heart failure].

The goal of investigation was to determine whether long-term anticoagulant therapy influences the mortality rate in CHF. The method consisted in the calculation of the annual death rate of the patients with CHF class III-IV NYHA: group A (controls)--who did not receive anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy; group B--treated with Acenocumarol or Aspirin. The results show in group A, which included 150 patients, during the 5-year interval under study 30 deaths, representing an annual death rate of 4%.

[Nebivolol treatment in essential arterial hypertension].

Nebivolol is a lipophilic beta 1-blocker. It is devoid of intrinsic sympathomimetic or membrane stabilising activity but appears to have nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatory effects. Nebivolol 5 mg once daily is well tolerated in patients with hypertension.

[Enzymatic markers in the alcoholic cardiomyopathy].

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy can ensue from heavy consumption of alcohol over a long period of time. The clinical features include dilatation of the left ventricle, poor myocardial contractility with reduced left ventricular ejection volume, raised tissue enzymes. In numerous experimental data has been observed increased generation of oxygen and ethanol free radicals, indicate that free radicals are implied in myocardial and hepatic damage.

[Hemorrhagic risk factors during beta-lactam antibiotics therapy].

Any type hemorrhagic manifestation may occur 12 hours to 5 weeks after the administration of beta-lactam antibiotics. The mechanisms of blood losses proved to be by: 1) immunologic thrombocytopenia (penicillins); 2) alteration of platelet functions (semisynthetic penicillins); 3) hypoprothrombinemia (cephalosporins). The risk factors for the occurrence of hemorrhage under beta-lactam antibiotics therapy are: concomitant administration of cytostatics for a neoplastic malignancy; b) acute or chronic renal failure; c) concomitant treatment for duodenal and gastric ulcer; d) malnutrition; e) dosage and duration of antibiotic administration.

[The cardiovascular significance of nitric oxide].

Nitric oxide (NO) synthesized from L-arginine is a ubiquitous intercellular chemical messenger involved in signal transduction in diverse mammalian cells. The isolation of molecular clones for NO synthases has permitted the characterization of several distinct enzyme isoforms. NO synthesized in vascular endothelial cells plays an important role in the control of vascular tonus and platelet aggregation, through the activation of guanylate-cyclase activity in target tissues mediated by NO.

[The evolutionary characteristics of the hypereosinophilic syndrome].

The case here described is a young male aged 21 years who met all diagnostic criteria for HES: (1) persistent eosinophilia of over 1500/cubic millimeter (19.904-26.070/cubic millimeter) for longer than 6 month (12 month in our patient); (2) lack of evidence of other known causes of secondary hypereosinophilia (SH); (3) multiple organ involvement.

[Neurological manifestations on collagenoses].

Collagen diseases are precipitated by very different etiologic factors, but have a common pathogenic mechanism--autoimmune, which evolves chronically and progressively involving new territories. The initial and main pathologic lesions are vascular arterial ischemic (and, according to the prevalently involved territory, the type of disease results: PAN--medium-sized and small arterioles; scleroderma--small arterioles and capillaries), and the secondary ones are the result of ischemia with plurivisceral involvement. Neurological dysfunctions were detected in about 50% of collagen diseases diagnosed during a 25 year interval in the IIIrd Medical Clinic of Iaşi.

Cardiovascular effects of L-arginine as physiological precursor of nitric oxide.

In this study the cardiovascular effects of L-arginine were investigated. Perfusion with sorbitol L-arginine 5% solution induced a significant decrease of the systolic blood pressure in the human arterial hypertension. The hypotensive effects of L-arginine are accompanied by an increase of the ventricular ejection fraction.

[Therapeutic means and methods in recurrent pleurisy].

During a 10-year interval (1981-1991), at the IIIrd Medical Clinic of Iaşi 960 cases with pleural effusion, of which 768 (80%) non-recurrent and 192 (20%) recurrent, were diagnosed. The etiology in the latter cases was malignant (40%) and non-malignant (60%). Proper treatment methods for limiting or suppressing the recurrent pleurisies proved to be imperative.

[The association of ventricular pre-excitation--acute myocardial infarct. The dysrhythmic outcomes].

The clinical manifestations of ventricular preexcitation, generally considered benign, may sometimes show the most unpredictable and severe evolution. Although ventricular tachyarrhythmias (those of ventricular aspect excepted) are extremely uncommon in ventricular preexcitation, cases of sudden death were nevertheless reported, their mechanism being the ventricular fibrillation. The authors have followed up the evolution of 12 patients (11 males, age between 38 and 72 years with a mean of 56 years) with acute myocardial infarction and coexistent ventricular preexcitation, previously depressed or newly detected, admitted during the last 10 years at the Coronary Unit of Iaşi.

[The effect of cardioversion in sinus rhythm on the systolic dynamics in atrial fibrillation and flutter].

In 60 cases of atrial fibrillation and flutter the systolic time intervals, haemodynamic ratios (PEj/PPE, PPE/PEj and PEj/TCIV) and ejection fraction before and after cardioversion in sinus rhythm were determined. The cardiac performance was markedly improved in all cases regardless the etiology and the degree of ventricular efficiency, pleading for the use of cardioversion anytime there is a chance to restore and maintain the sinus rhythm. The persistence of anticreased venous pressure, as well as the absence or late resumption of atrial mechanic activity usually indicate that arrhythmia soon recurs.

[The effect of captopril on the coronary circulation in a clinical and experimental study].

Taking into account the well-known angiotensin II-induced coronary constriction, in a first series of experiments the effects of captopril were studied upon the rabbit, guinea pig and rat coronary circulation during perfusion with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution at 37 degrees C under constant pressure and variable flow according to the Langendorf technique. The inhibition of angiotensin I to angiotensin II conversion enzyme with captopril (5-500 microgr./ml) resulted in a coronary dose dependent dilation as a consequence of a reduction in the basal coronary tonus.

[The efficacy of electroversion in the treatment of tachyarrhythmia complications of the heart valves].

The results of electric cardioversion in the treatment of tachyarrhythmias in a series of 431 patients with valve diseases of the left heart admitted during the last 10 years are presented. Most patients presented atrial fibrillation (71.4%), the atrial flutter and paroxysmal tachycardia necessitating electric cardioversion in 24.