Effect of High Dose Rosuvastatin Loading before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy.

Background And Objectives: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This observational, non-randomized study evaluated the effect of rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the incidence of CIN in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Subjects And Methods: A total of 824 patients who underwent PCI for ACS were studied (408 patients in the statin group=40 mg rosuvastatin loading before PCI; 416 patients of control group=no statin pretreatment).

Effect of High Dose Rosuvastatin Loading before Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Infarct Size in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background And Objectives: High dose rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) reduces the myocardial damage and the incidence of adverse cardiac events in patients with stable angina and acute coronary syndrome. However, no studies are present yet about rosuvastatin loading in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a primary PCI setting.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 475 patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI were studied.

Comparison of 3-year clinical outcomes between classic crush and modified mini-crush technique in coronary bifurcation lesions.

Objectives: We aimed to compare long-term clinical outcomes between modified mini-crush (modi-MC) technique with classic crush (crush) technique for treatment of bifurcation lesions.

Background: The modi-MC technique showed excellent procedural success and favorable 9-month clinical outcomes.

Methods: From January 2005 to November 2009, we enrolled patients with de novo bifurcation lesions treated with modi-MC (n = 112 lesions in 111 patients) and crush technique (n = 69 lesions in 67 patients).

An antinuclear antibody-negative patient with lupus nephritis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease that's characterized by various autoantibodies to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens. The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in serum is generally considered a decisive diagnostic sign of SLE. However, a small subset of SLE patients who had the typical clinical features of SLE was reported to show persistently negative ANA tests.

Clinical characteristics of lupus myocarditis in Korea.

Clinically important myocarditis is an unusual feature in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of five SLE patients who developed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Four patients were female with mean age of 36.