Microvascular Permeability after an Acute and Chronic Salt Load in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Open-label Crossover Intervention Study.

Background: Sodium-induced microcirculatory changes, endothelial surface layer alterations in particular, may play an important role in sodium-mediated blood pressure elevation. However, effects of acute and chronic sodium loading on the endothelial surface layer and microcirculation in humans have not been established. The objective of this study was to assess sodium-induced changes in blood pressure and body weight as primary outcomes and also in microvascular permeability, sublingual microcirculatory dimensions, and urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion in healthy subjects.

The change in circulating galectin-3 predicts absence of atrial fibrillation after thoracoscopic surgical ablation.

Aims: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an important mediator of cardiac fibrosis, particularly in heart failure. Increased Gal-3 concentration (Gal-3), associated with increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), may reflect atrial fibrotic remodelling underlying AF progression. We aimed to investigate whether the change in serum Gal-3 reflects alterations of the arrhythmogenic atrial substrate following thoracoscopic AF surgery, and predicts absence of AF.

Older coronary thrombus is an independent predictor of 1-year mortality in acute myocardial infarction.

Background: We have previously shown that older thrombus is associated with a twofold higher long-term mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). We evaluated whether the addition of the presence of older thrombus to a multimarker model would result in increased predictive power for 1-year mortality in STEMI patients.

Methods: The study population (n = 1442) consists of STEMI patients treated with thrombus aspiration during pPCI.

Vulnerability for new episodes in recurrent major depressive disorder: protocol for the longitudinal DELTA-neuroimaging cohort study.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is widely prevalent and severely disabling, mainly due to its recurrent nature. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying MDD-recurrence may help to identify high-risk patients and to improve the preventive treatment they need. MDD-recurrence has been considered from various levels of perspective including symptomatology, affective neuropsychology, brain circuitry and endocrinology/metabolism.

Accuracy and Reproducibility in Quantification of Plasma Protein Concentrations by Mass Spectrometry without the Use of Isotopic Standards.

Background: Quantitative proteomic analysis with mass spectrometry holds great promise for simultaneously quantifying proteins in various biosamples, such as human plasma. Thus far, studies addressing the reproducible measurement of endogenous protein concentrations in human plasma have focussed on targeted analyses employing isotopically labelled standards. Non-targeted proteomics, on the other hand, has been less employed to this end, even though it has been instrumental in discovery proteomics, generating large datasets in multiple fields of research.

Influence of chronic kidney disease on anticoagulation levels and bleeding after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients treated with unfractionated heparin.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) plasma protein binding and elimination might be impaired in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD-defined as creatinine clearance <60 ml/min). It is currently unknown at which UFH bolus dose persistent prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) occurs in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with CKD. We investigated the effect of different UFH bolus doses on the first aPTT measured within 6 and 12 h after PPCI in 1071 STEMI patients with and without CKD undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) between 1-1-2003 and 31-07-2008.

Admission lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity is not associated with long-term clinical outcomes after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) activity is a biomarker predicting cardiovascular diseases in a real-world. However, the prognostic value in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on long-term clinical outcomes is unknown.

Methods: Lp-PLA2 activity was measured in samples obtained prior to pPCI from consecutive STEMI patients in a high-volume intervention center from 2005 until 2007.

Rationale and cross-sectional study design of the Research on Obesity and type 2 Diabetes among African Migrants: the RODAM study.

Introduction: Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are highly prevalent among African migrants compared with European descent populations. The underlying reasons still remain a puzzle. Gene-environmental interaction is now seen as a potential plausible factor contributing to the high prevalence of obesity and T2D, but has not yet been investigated.

Growth-differentiation factor 15 for long-term prognostication in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: an Invasive versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable coronary Syndromes (ICTUS) substudy.

Background: No five-year long-term follow-up data is available regarding the prognostic value of GDF-15. Our aim is to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of admission growth-differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) regarding death or myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

Methods: This is a subanalysis from the ICTUS (Invasive versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable coronary Syndromes) trial, including troponin positive NSTE-ACS patients.

Serum levels of N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients--relation to tidal volume size and development of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Serum levels of N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are elevated in patients acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Recent studies showed a lower incidence of acute cor pulmonale in ARDS patients ventilated with lower tidal volumes. Consequently, serum levels of NT-proBNP may be lower in these patients.

High-sensitivity troponin T is associated with poor outcome in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease.

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease (CHD-PAH) has a poor prognosis. We sought to determine whether the biomarker high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) measured on routine visit at the outpatient clinic is associated with prognosis.

Patients: Consecutive adult CHD-PAH (86% Eisenmenger syndrome) patients referred for advanced medical therapy between January 2005 and March 2007 in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam.

A comparison of measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate in successfully treated HIV-patients with preserved renal function.

Background: Monitoring of renal function becomes increasingly important in the aging population of HIV-1 infected patients. We compared Cockroft & Gault (C&G), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Cystatin C- and 24 h urine-based estimated GFR (eGFR) with the gold standard, measured GFR (mGFR) using [125I]-iothalamate.

Methods: Substudy within a randomized, multinational trial comparing continuing zidovudine/ lamivudine with switching to tenofovir/ emtricitabine in patients with suppressed HIV-1 infection.

Gender difference in the prognostic value of estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate gender differences in the prognostic value of renal function for mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Design: Prospective single-center cohort.

Setting: Single tertiary referral center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide identifies patients with chest pain at high long-term cardiovascular risk.

Background: Little is known about the long-term prognostic value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in low-risk patients with chest pain.

Methods: Between June 1997 and January 2000, a standard rule-out protocol was performed in patients presenting to the emergency department within 6 hours of onset of chest pain with a normal or nondiagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG) on admission at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam and Medical Center Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Patients with acute coronary syndrome were identified by troponin T, recurrent angina, and serial ECGs.

Predictive value of plasma glucose level on admission for short and long term mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Published reports describe a strong association between plasma glucose levels on admission and mortality in patients who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of admission glucose levels for early and late mortality. From 2005 to 2007, 1,646 patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and were stratified according to admission plasma glucose level in category 1 (<7.

Multiple biomarkers at admission significantly improve the prediction of mortality in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Objectives: We investigated whether multiple biomarkers improve prognostication in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Few data exist on the prognostic value of combined biomarkers.

Methods: We used data from 1,034 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention in a high-volume percutaneous coronary intervention center in the Netherlands and investigated whether combining N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, glucose, C-reactive protein, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and cardiac troponin T improved the prediction of mortality.

NT-pro-BNP is associated with inducible myocardial ischemia in mildly symptomatic type 2 diabetic patients.

Baseline levels of N-terminal fragment of the brain natriuretic peptide prohormone (NT-pro-BNP) are associated with myocardial ischemia in non-diabetic patients with stable angina pectoris. A total of 281 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and stable angina pectoris underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Myocardial ischemia on MPS was present in 140 (50%) patients.

Cystatin C for enhancement of risk stratification in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome patients with an increased troponin T.

Background: We assessed the value of cystatin C for improvement of risk stratification in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (nSTE-ACS) and increased cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and we compared the long-term effects of an early invasive treatment strategy (EIS) with a selective invasive treatment strategy (SIS) with regard to renal function.

Methods: Patients (n = 1128) randomized to an EIS or an SIS in the ICTUS trial were stratified according to the tertiles of the cystatin C concentration at baseline. The end points were death within 4 years and spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI) within 3 years.

Relation of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide levels after symptom-limited exercise to baseline and ischemia levels.

Circulating levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the amino-terminal portion of the prohormone (NT-proBNP) have been reported to increase immediately after myocardial ischemia. The association between extent of exercise-induced myocardial ischemia measured using myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and the magnitude and time course of changes in NT-proBNP was studied. One hundred one patients underwent symptom-limited exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide for additional risk stratification in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome and an elevated troponin T: an Invasive versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable coronary Syndromes (ICTUS) substudy.

Background: New evidence has emerged that the assessment of multiple biomarkers such as cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (nSTE-ACS) provides unique prognostic information. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between baseline NT-proBNP levels and outcome in patients who have nSTE-ACS with an elevated cTnT and to determine whether patients with elevated NT-proBNP levels benefit from an early invasive treatment strategy.

Methods: Baseline samples for NT-proBNP measurements were available in 1141 patients who have nSTE-ACS with an elevated cTnT randomized to an early or a selective invasive strategy.