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.

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.

The relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme gene I/D polymorphism and QT dispersion in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by disorganized myocardial architecture, and may cause ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) with two deletion alleles (DD genotype) has been proposed to be associated with increased myocardial collagen content. We evaluated QT dispersion (QTd), which reflects regional differences in ventricular repolarization, in HCM patient and controls among the three different ACE genotypes.

Angiographic restenosis in ephesos coronary stents: experience from a large medical center in Ankara, Turkey.

Coronary stent restenosis, which emerges in late periods after implantation, has not been completely abolished. Our aim was to investigate the restenosis rates of Ephesos coronary stents. In all, 96 patients (66 men) with 135 Ephesos coronary stents were included.

Good collaterals predict viable myocardium.

The authors undertook this study to see whether highly developed coronary collaterals at an area shed by a totally occluded coronary artery predicts myocardial viability. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a totally occluded coronary artery has been debated since its introduction. It is recommended to search for viable myocardium before opening a totally occluded coronary artery; however, there is no practical yet sensitive method of assessing myocardial viability in the catheterization laboratory.

The relationship of chronic angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor use and coronary collateral vessel development.

Background: Angiotensin II induces various growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor, and recent studies suggest that the expression of these growth factors promotes collateral growth. We hypothesized that the blockage of angiotensin II production by ACE inhibitors might interfere with collateral development in patients with coronary occlusion.

Methods: The study group consisted of 187 patients (114 males, mean ages, 62 +/- 11 years) who had chronic (> 1 month) coronary occlusion (TIMI flow grade < or = 1) in one of 3 epicardial coronary arteries.

Catheter-induced left main coronary artery dissection resulting in abrupt closure and cardiac arrest: successful stenting during resuscitation.

Catheter-induced left main coronary artery dissection is an uncommon but devastating complication of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. We present a case of left main coronary artery dissection induced with a guide catheter, which resulted in acute occlusion and cardiac arrest. Survival and complete functional recovery were achieved with bailout stenting.

Association between anticardiolipin antibodies and recurrent cardiac events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

To determine whether the presence of anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies in patients with acute coronary syndrome is predictive of recurrent cardiac events in hospital stay and follow-up. The study population consisted of 80 patients with acute coronary syndrome. IgM and IgG aCL levels were determined before hospital discharge.

Bifurcation lesion treated with a single stent: a new technique.

Treatment of bifurcation lesions by percutaneous coronary interventions is one of the challenging issues for the interventional cardiologists. The overall complication rate is higher than nonbifurcation lesions. We describe a new stenting technique for the so-called true bifurcation lesions.

Effect of direct stent implantation on QTc dispersion.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether direct stenting is superior to conventional stent implantation technique with respect to QTc dispersion in prospectively selected patients with simple lesion morphology and class II stable angina undergoing elective coronary stenting. One hundred thirty-four consecutive patients were divided into 2 groups based on the stenting technique used: the direct stenting without predilation group, group I (n = 64), and the stenting with predilation group, group II (n = 70). All patients had single-vessel disease.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha in diastolic dysfunction.

Background: Active relaxation develops as a result of sequestration of calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and is controlled mainly by sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban.Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) downregulates both of these proteins, so it may play a role in the development of abnormal relaxation. However, a possible relationship between TNF-alpha and diastolic dysfunction has not been sufficiently evaluated in vivo.

Effects of garlic extract consumption on plasma and erythrocyte antioxidant parameters in atherosclerotic patients.

Effects of ingesting garlic extract on plasma and erythrocyte antioxidant parameters of atherosclerotic patients were investigated in this study. Eleven patients with atherosclerosis participated in the study. They ingested a dose of 1 ml/kg body weight of garlic extract daily for 6 months (study period).

Accessory pathway associated with an anomalous coronary sinus.

Congenital coronary sinus anomalies are unusual and they rarely coexist with accessory atrioventricular pathways. These anomalies are generally asymptomatic, however they can cause difficulty in mapping. The association between accessory pathway and coronary sinus anomalies may suggest an embryologic link.

Increase in soluble E-selectin level after PTCA and stent implantation: a potential marker of restenosis.

Background: E-Selectin is expressed only on activated endothelial cells, and may be used as a marker of endothelial activation. The relationship between soluble form of E-selectin (sE-selectin) and development of restenosis after balloon angioplasty (PTCA) is controversial, and there are no data for after stent implantation. We evaluated the role of serially measured sE-selectin levels in predicting the development of restenosis after PTCA and stent implantation.

A safe and simple method for management of frozen pacemaker leads.

The traction of frozen leads from the generator header is difficult in some patients. This report describes the authors' experience with frozen leads in which the lead pins were removed by pushing with the tip of screwdriver from the hole created with a scalpel blade at the closed end of the generator header.

Elevated whole-blood tissue factor procoagulant activity as a marker of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent implantation.

Background: Experimental data suggest that tissue factor (TF) may induce neointimal hyperplasia after arterial injury. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that elevated levels of TF in the circulation contribute to the development of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or stent implantation.

Methods And Results: Whole-blood TF procoagulant activity (TF-PCA) was measured using a previously described assay before, at 3 hours after, and at 24 hours after the intervention in 61 patients with stable angina undergoing PTCA (n=20) or stent implantation (n=41).

Predictive value of heart rate variability for the recurrence of chronic atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion.

Background: The relation between heart rate variability (HRV) and occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in paroxysmal AF has been well studied, but there are controversial observations regarding the relation of HRV parameters to the recurrence of chronic AF after cardioversion.

Hypothesis: The present study compared HRV parameters of patients with chronic AF on the second day of cardioversion with a healthy control group and investigated their predictive value for AF recurrence.

Methods: Forty-one patients with chronic AF (> 3 months), who had various underlying cardiovascular disorders, were enrolled to the study.

The prevention of minor myocardial injury with ticlopidine pretreatment in patients undergoing elective coronary stenting.

The aim of the study was to determine whether ticlopidine treatment prior the coronary stenting would be associated with lower rates of procedure-related minor myocardial injury (MMI) in patients undergoing elective coronary stenting. In this retrospective, nonrandomized, uncontrolled study, a total of 153 consecutive patients with a mean age of 63.4+/-8.

Comparison of clopidogrel versus ticlopidine for prevention of minor myocardial injury after elective coronary stenting.

We searched a randomized, double-blinded, prospective study that compared the effectiveness of clopidogrel versus ticlopidine for prevention of minor myocardial injury (MMI) and major clinical events (MCEs) after elective coronary stenting. A total of 158 consecutive patients (98 male, 60 female patients with a mean age of 59.3+/-5.

Altered coronary flow properties in diffuse coronary artery ectasia.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate coronary blood flow properties in patients with diffuse coronary artery ectasia (CAE) associated with exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.

Methods: Seventeen patients with diffuse CAE and without coexisting coronary artery stenosis were enrolled in the study (CAE group). CAE was defined as luminal dilatation 1.

Coronary-pulmonary artery fistula associated with right heart failure: successful closure of fistula with a graft stent.

Coronary artery fistula constitutes a rare congenital anomaly. The reported incidence of this anomaly ranges from 0.1% to 0.

A rare variant of single coronary artery and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A single coronary artery (SCA) constitutes a rare congenital anomaly. The reported incidence of SCA ranges from 0.2 1.

Effect of direct stent implantation on minor myocardial injury.

Unlabelled: This nonrandomized study evaluated the incidence of minor myocardial injury (MMI) in prospectively selected patients with simple lesion morphology and class II stable angina undergoing stenting with or without predilatation.

Methods: A total of 154 patients were divided into two arms based on the stenting technique used: direct stenting without predilatation (Group I; n = 78) and stenting with predilatation (Group II; n = 76). Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was measured immediately before, at 12 hours and 24 hours postprocedure.