Intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient with SLE and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS): report of a case.

A 31-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for investigation of left lower limb thrombophlebitis. History, physical examination, and laboratory investigations led to the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), complicated by secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Treatment included steroids, azathioprine, aspirin, and low molecular weight heparin.

Detection of myocardial ischemia in the elderly versus the young by stress thallium-201 scintigraphy and its relation to important coronary artery disease.

The prevalence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis increase dramatically with age, so that more than half of all deaths in persons aged over 65 are due to coronary arterial disease (CAD) and about three fourths of all deaths from CAD occur in the elderly. The aims of our study were, first, to detect myocardial ischemia development in elderly versus younger patients undergoing treatment for known CAD through the use of both conventional treadmill testing and 201T1 scintigraphy, and second, to determine the relationship between the above non-invasive tests and angiographically confirmed important coronary artery disease (iCAD). A database of 606 patients (355 men and 251 women) who had undergone coronary angiography, exercise ECG testing (ETT) using the treadmill Bruce protocol, and 201T1 scintigraphy, was reviewed retrospectively.

Heart failure accompanied by sick euthyroid syndrome and exercise training.

Sick euthyroid syndrome is defined as the decrease of serum free triiodothyronine with normal free L-thyroxin and thyrotropin. Its appearance in patients with chronic heart failure is an indicator of severity. Exercise training through a wide variety of mechanisms reverses sick euthyroid syndrome (normalization of free triiodothyronine levels) and improves the ability to exercise.

Comparative haemodynamic responses to the first dose of short- and long-acting ACE inhibitors in patients with congestive heart failure.

Background: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi's) confer significant mortality and morbidity benefits in all functional grades of chronic heart failure (CHF). However, physicians' concerns regarding the possible occurrence of first-dose hypotension appear to be a contributing factor to their under-utilisation in both hospital and primary care settings. We investigated whether long-acting and short-acting ACEi's differ in their haemodynamic responses to the first-dose in patients with CHF.

Risk factors of ischaemic heart disease and long-term outcome after coronary bypass surgery.

Background: To investigate the effect of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) risk factors on the long-term course of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, was the aim of our study.

Methods: We studied a total of 128 people, who were classified into 4 groups. Control Group A consisted of 24 healthy adults, Group B of 23 patients who underwent CABG for 3-vessel disease and had no complications in the first two postoperative years, Group C of 41 patients who were hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the first or second post-CABG year and Group D of 40 patients who were hospitalized for AMI without previous CABG.

Alterations in the fibrinolytic system components during acute myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor - type 1 (PAI-1) and D-dimer (DD) antigen plasma levels in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after thrombolytic therapy with two different thrombolytic agents, rt-PA or acetyl-streptokinase and to find out any correlation between the plasma t-PA, PAI-1 and DD levels with the infarct size as it is estimated from the peak of serum CPK levels. The plasma antigen levels of t-PA, PAI-1 and DD were measured by the enzyme immunoassay method (Stago), in 57 consecutive patients (M = 46, F = 11, mean age 55.6 +/- 8.

Antigenic stimulation in T-cell cultures in cardiomyopathies: differences in cytokine profiles.

Immune-mediated mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies. In this study, we investigate which pattern of immune response (Th1 or Th2) lies behind these diseases by analysing the basic cytokines secreted from PHA-cultured T lymphocytes and determining what differences, if any, exist between dilated cardiomyopathy (DMC) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Two groups of patients were studied: 10 patients with DCM and 10 patients with HCM.

Effect of antihypertensive treatment on lipids and fibrinogen: Greek multicentre study of cilazapril.

The effect cilazapril (CLZ) treatment on serum lipids and fibrinogen was studied in 114 hypertensive patients for 18 weeks. Blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile and fibrinogen were measured before and at the end of the study in all patients. Satisfactory blood pressure control was seen in 68% of the patients (group A) after 4 weeks of treatment with 5 mg CLZ monotherapy, while a single dose of chlorthalidone, 25 mg daily, was added to the therapeutic regimen of the remaining 32% of patients (group B) to achieve blood pressure control.

Immunopathogenic mechanisms in hypertension.

There is a growing interest in immunologically-mediated lesions in the cardiovascular system, as there has been evidence that there are antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or hypertensives with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We have also very recently published findings from our laboratory that hypertensives with LVH have a considerable quantity of anticardiac antibodies (ACA) in their serum. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of autoimmune mechanisms in the pathogenesis and evolution of hypertensive disease.

The predictive value of troponin T in patients who underwent an extracardiac surgery operation.

Unlabelled: Purpose of the study is the research of the diagnostic value of the determination of Troponin T in relation with the other cardiac enzymes in patients who underwent extracardiac surgery operation.

Methods: 42 pts (M = 24, F = 18, mean age 51.7 +/- 17 years) who underwent a surgery operation were studies.

Intravenous administration of diltiazem in the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of diltiazem bolus intravenous administration, compared to disopyramide, in the treatment of various types of paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Method: Fifty patients (23 males, 27 females, mean age 47.7 +/- 15.

A possible role for autoantibodies in left ventricular hypertrophy.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the possible role of autoantibodies in the development and type of left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Three groups of subjects were studied: (a) 15 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; 11 males, 4 females; mean age 50.0 +/- 16.

The diagnostic value of the determination of troponin T in the diagnosis of unstable angina.

Unlabelled: The purpose of the study is the predictive value of determination of Tr-T in diagnosis of unstable angina.

Methods: 35 pts (24 male, 11 female, mean age 53.4 +/- 5 years) were studied.

Hemodynamic and biochemical changes after chronic administration of cilazapril to hypertensive patients.

The study describes the changes in basic hemodynamic parameters after long-term antihypertensive therapy with cilazapril--a new ACE inhibitor lacking a sulfhydryl group--in hypertensive patients and the drug effects on renal function, glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism. 30 patients (18 males, 12 females, mean age: 53.3 +/- 18 years) with mild to moderate essential hypertension were studied.

Influence of left ventricular hypertrophy on the diastolic performance in hypertensive patients and in athletes.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to investigate whether the aetiology of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is related with distinct abnormalities of left ventricular diastolic performance.

Methods: thirty patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension (15 without echocardiographic evidence of LVH and 15 with LVH) and 15 athletes with LVH were studied. Control group comprised 10 normotensive subjects.

Alterations of first derivative of apexcardiogram indices during induced changes of heart rate.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of HR changes, induced by a variety of causes, on left ventricular performance as assessed by the first derivative of apexcardiogram indices. Ten males, mean age 29.6 +/- 8.

[The effect of prostaglandins E1 and F1 alpha and indomethacin on haemodynamic and renal endocrine and exocrine function (author's transl)].

1. The PGE1, infused into the renal artery of the dog, increased RPF, Sodium and Potassium excretion rate and UV; it diminished the EPAH and FF but did not alter GFR and PRA. 2.

Is low urinary prostaglandin concentration a stage in the development of essential hypertension?

Urinary prostaglandin E and F (PGE and PGF) concentrations, renal plasma flow (RPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), sodium excretion rate (UNaV), potassium excretion rate (UKV), urinary osmolarity (Uosm) and osmolar clearance (Cosm) were found to be higher, while mean blood pressure (MBP) was lower in a group of 15 normotensive subjects (15NS), compared to those values obtained in a group of 25 essential patients (25EHP) of the same mean age. After volume expansion, of the 25EHP, urinary PGE concentration, RPF, noncortical plasma flow (NCPF), UNaV, UKV, UNaV/UKV, Cosm and urine volume (UV) increased significantly, MBP, GFR, Uosm, free water reabsorption (Tc water) and urinary aldosterone concentration did not change, while plasma renin activity (PRA) decreased significantly. It was concluded that the deficiency in renomedullary PG synthesis in the EHP is accompanied by a decrease in RPF, NCPF and UNaV.

Interaction between aldosterone and renomedullary prostaglandins. Competitive action between aspirin and spironolactone.

Aldosterone injected i.m. decreased the release of renomedullary PGEs and the index (urinary Na/K ratio) in conscious normotensive intact and adrenalectomized rats.

Direct relationship between urinary prostaglandin E and sodium excretion in essential hypertensive patients.

Urinary prostaglandins (PGEs and PGFs), sodium and potassium were measured in 17 essentially hypertensive patients. Significant positive correlations were found between a) PGEs secreted in 24 h and sodium excreted in 24 h, b) the ratio PGEs/UnaV before and PGEs/UnaV after volume expansion and c) the ration Na/K and urinary PGEs. It was suggested that renal PGEs, potent natriuretic and diuretic substances, play an important homeostatic role in the extracellular fluid regulation, and consequently in long-term control of the arterial blood pressure.

The effect of oxyfedrine on the phases of the cardiac cycle of normal persons.

With non-invasive techniques we have studied the effects of oxyfedrine given i.v. in a dose of 8 mg on the systolic phase of cardiac cycle in 10 cardiologically healthy persons.