Potential Effects of Ischemic Postconditioning and Changes in Heat Shock Protein 72 in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction without Prodromal Angina.

The effectiveness of ischemic postconditioning (iPoC) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without ischemic preconditioning has not been determined. Therefore, we investigated the impact of iPoC and its potential mechanism related to heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) induction on myocardial salvage in patients with STEMI without prodromal angina (PA).We retrospectively analyzed data from 102 patients with STEMI with successful reperfusion among 323 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome.

A Carbamazepine-induced Brugada-type Electrocardiographic Pattern in a Patient with Schizophrenia.

We report the case of a 61-year-old man with schizophrenia who was treated with carbamazepine, in whom electrocardiography showed transient Brugada-type ST elevation. He had been hospitalized our hospital's Department of Psychiatry and had been diagnosed with pneumonia. On the following day, electrocardiography showed coved-type ST elevation in the right precordial leads and a blood examination revealed that the patient's carbamazepine concentration was at the upper limit of the standard range, as well as hypothyroidism.

Association between microalbuminuria predicting in-stent restenosis after myocardial infarction and cellular senescence of endothelial progenitor cells.

Objective: Relationship between microalbuminuria and worse outcome of coronary artery disease patients is discussed, but its underlying pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the role of microalbuminuria to the function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), that might affect to outcome of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods: Forty-five AMI patients were divided into two groups according to their urinary albumin excretion: normal (n = 24) and microalbuminuria (>30 mg/day, n = 21).

Dipstick proteinuria as a surrogate marker of long-term mortality after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Proteinuria and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are associated with an increased risk of mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is unknown whether there is a difference in prognostic value for all-cause mortality between proteinuria and eGFR during post-AMI.

Methods: A consecutive series of 101 patients admitted with AMI who received angioplasty were enrolled.

Impaired ventricular repolarization dynamics in patients with early repolarization syndrome.

Introduction: Almost all current investigations on early repolarization syndrome (ERS) have focused on the J-wave characteristics and ST-segment configuration; however, few have reported on ventricular repolarization indexes in ERS.

Methods And Results: A total of 145 subjects were enrolled: 10 ERS patients, 45 uneventful ER pattern (ERP) subjects, and 90 healthy controls without J waves or ST-segment elevation. Ambulatory ECG-derived parameters (QT, QTc(B), QTc(F), T peak-Tend(Tpe), and QT/RR slope) were measured and statistically compared.

Site of transmural late gadolinium enhancement on the cardiac MRI coincides with the ECG leads exhibiting terminal QRS distortion in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarctions.

Large infarcts are associated with a terminal QRS-distortion in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on the cardiac MRI (CMR) can depict an infarct distribution. However, less is known about the relationship between the LGE findings and QRS-distortion on admission, including the best ECG-lead location to reveal the QRS-distortion (DIS-lead) in STEMI patients.

Clinical and genetic investigation of a Japanese family with cardiac fabry disease. Identification of a novel α-galactosidase A missense mutation (G195V).

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations of the α-galactosidase A gene (GLA), and the disease is a relatively prevalent cause of left ventricular hypertrophy mimicking idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We assessed clinically 5 patients of a three-generation family and also searched for GLA mutations in 10 family members. The proband had left ventricular hypertrophy with localized thinning in the basal posterior wall and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the near-circumferential wall in cardiovascular magnetic resonance images and her sister had vasospastic angina pectoris without organic stenosis of the coronary arteries.

Recovery of advanced atrioventricular block by cilostazol.

We describe a case of advanced atrioventricular (AV) block, in which treatment with cilostazol was effective in recovering the AV conduction. The patient was referred to our hospital for close examination of the advanced AV block and permanent pacemaker implantation. Although the patient had experienced third-degree AV block with occasional AV synchrony for more than two days, the AV conduction completely recovered after treatment with oral cilostazol at 200 mg/day.

A case of idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome with high serum levels of G-CSF on exacerbation.

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a life-threatening disorder which presents with periodic episodes of hypovolemic shock, due to plasma leakage to the extra-vascular space reflected by accompanying hypoalbuminemia, hemoconcentration and edema often with associated monoclonal gammopathy. We describe a 28-year-old woman with SCLS who required aggressive fluid resuscitation and was successfully treated with corticosteroid, terbutaline, and theophylline. At exacerbation, the levels of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were increased.

Spontaneous resolution of an accidental total coronary occlusion.

In December 2007, a woman was involved in a traffic accident. At first, her vital signs were normal, but electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads. She was diagnosed as a blunt chest trauma-induced myocardial infarction.

Brugada syndrome case: difficult differentiation between a concealed form and tricyclic antidepressant-induced Brugada sign.

We describe a case of Brugada syndrome, in which recurrent syncope with convulsive seizures was induced after antidepressant treatment. The patient had been treated with five kinds of psychotropic drugs. The twelve-lead ECG after the syncope exhibited an RSR'-pattern in the precordial leads, however, a coved type ST-segment elevation was induced by a pilsicainide test.

Brugada syndrome whose ST-segment changes were enhanced by antihistamines and antiallergenic drugs.

We describe a case of Brugada syndrome, in which a coved type ST-segment elevation was enhanced by antihistamines and antiallergenic drugs. The patient had been treated with four kinds of antihistamines and antiallergenic drugs. The twelve-lead ECG exhibited a coved type ST-segment elevation in leads V(1) and V(2), and their enhancement was induced by pilsicainide.