Evaluation of risk factors for the development of bacteremia and complications in patients with brucellosis: Is it possible to predict the clinical course?

Introduction: Brucellosis is often confused with other diseases or accompanies the conditions it imitates. It causes treatment delays, failure, relapse, and complications. This study aimed to investigate bacteremia and complication predictors in Brucellosis patients.

Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Index as a Determinant of Atherosclerotic Burden and High-Risk Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Background: Systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), which is derived from neutrophil, platelet and lymphocyte counts, represents the homeostatic balance among inflammatory, immune and thrombotic status. The systemic immune-inflammatory index is superior to indices such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in predicting prognosis in various malignancies, while it is shown to predict future cardiac events better than traditional risk factors after coronary intervention.

Objectives: Herein, we aimed to evaluate the relationship of the systemic immune-inflammatory index with atherosclerotic burden and in-hospital complications in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Pacemaker Leads Extraction after Pocket Infection with Abdominal Vena Cava and Common Iliac Vein Thrombosis.

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Role of Sodium Levels on Atrial Fibrillation in Heart Failure: Active Player or a Bystander?

Background: The coexistence of hyponatremia and atrial fibrillation (AF) increases morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). However, it is not established whether hyponatremia is related to AF or not.

Objective: Our study aims to seek a potential association of hyponatremia with AF in patients with reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF).

Some inflammatory markers and chest computerized tomography in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection.

Objective: We retrospectively assessed whether there was a relationship between lung complications and some easily accessible markers to predict the presence of pulmonary consolidation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: According to the polymerase chain reaction and chest computerized tomography results, the study was categorized into three groups. Group 1 (n=87) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (+), group 2 (n=55) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (-) and chest computerized tomography (+), and group 3 (n=77) included the patients with polymerase chain reaction (-) and chest computerized tomography (-), respectively.

Exercise and Peripheral Arteriosclerosis.

Adaptation of a healthy lifestyle including adequate daily physical activity is shown to reduce 80% of cardiovascular mortality and 40% of cancer-related deaths. A large body of evidence exists proving that this relationship is dose dependent, and even half of the recommended normal physical activity yields significant risk reduction. There has been no medical therapy that would provide such high percentages of reduction in mortality to date.

Relationship between Microfibrillar-Associated Protein 4 Levels and Subclinical Myocardial Damage in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a widespread health problem, in which mortality is most frequently due to cardiovascular diseases. Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an extracellular matrix protein. MFAP4 is involved in several biological processes, particularly the maintenance of vascular integrity and extracellular matrix remodeling.

Can the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with ischemic heart failure with low ejection fraction be predicted?

Objective: Our aim is to determine the triggering factors of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in ischemic heart failure (HF) patients with low ejection fraction (EF).

Methods: Sixty patients were included in this study. Echocardiography and 24-hours Holter monitoring were performed after measurement of serum NT-pro BNP concentration.

The fate of small side branches following drug eluting stent implantation.

Objectives: Although drug eluting stents (DES) have documented convenience in bifurcation lesions, possible unfavorable effects on small side branch ostium (SBO) remain a question. We aimed to explore the effects of DES on small jailed SBs (1.5-2.

Vitamin D levels in white coat and sustained hypertension.

Objective: The plasma levels of vitamin D in patients with white coat hypertension (WCHT) have not been studied previously. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin D levels in WCHT and compare with sustained hypertension (SHT) and with normotension (NT).

Patients And Methods: Fifty-three normotensive, 42 WCHT, and 59 SHT patients were recruited in this study.

Comparison of endothelial function of coronary artery bypass grafts in diabetic and nondiabetic patients: Which graft offers the best?

Objective: Diabetes associated endothelial dysfunction, which determines both long and short term graft patency, is not uniform in all coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) grafts. Herein this study, we aimed to investigate the degree of endothelial dysfunction in diabetic radial artery (RA), internal mammarian artery (IMA) and saphenous vein (SV) grafts in vitro tissue bath system.

Methods: This is a prospective experimental study.

Vasodilation Responses to Non-Selective α-Adrenergic Blockage of Coronary Bypass Grafts in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients: In Vitro Study.

Background: Adrenergic tonus is increased in atherosclerotic coronary arteries. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate in vitro effects of phentolamine, a reversible nonselective alpha (α) adrenergic blocker, on coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) and compare its effects in diabetic and nondiabetic patients.

Methods: A total number of 30 patients (15 diabetic and 15 nondiabetic) who were assigned to elective CABG surgery were enrolled into the study.

Risk factors for intraaortic balloon pump use in coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objectives: The study was aimed at investigating the risk factors of using an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) in coronary artery bypass surgery and presenting the authors' clinical experience of IABP use.

Material And Methods: The study included 1094 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery at the authors' clinic between January 2009 and December 2011. A comparison was made between 17 patients in whom an IABP was used and 1077 patients in whom it was not used.

The effect of distension pressure on endothelial injury and vasodilatation response in saphenous vein grafts: conversion of a bypass graft to a dead pipe.

Introduction: Endothelial damage caused by high pressure applied for spasm relaxation during graft preparation is one of the most plausible theories explaining early graft failure.

Aim Of The Study: We aimed to demonstrate the extent of endothelial damage in saphenous vein grafts distended to different pressure levels by using immunohistochemical methods and in vitro tissue baths.

Material And Methods: Saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) of 25 patients who underwent isolated elective CABG surgery were used in this study.

A case with double-chambered right ventricle and left ventricular-right atrial communication (Gerbode defect): potential pitfall for Eisenmenger syndrome.

The ventricular septal defect (VSD) can rarely be associated with other malformations such as double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) in which hypertrophied muscle bundles divide the right ventricle into two chambers causing progressive obstruction (Mao et al., Asia Pac J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 5:14-17, 1996). Most VSDs close spontaneously by apposition of the tricuspid leaflets, but the process is rarely disrupted, resulting in communication between left ventricle and right atrium called Gerbode defect [Cho et al.