Acute hyperbilirubinemia determines an early subclinical renal damage: Evaluation of tubular biomarkers in cholemic nephropathy.

Background And Aims: Cholemic nephropathy is a cause of acute kidney injury occurring in patients with jaundice. The aim of this study was to evaluate early renal function impairment in patients with mild acute hyperbilirubinemia in the absence of alterations of the common parameters used in clinical practice (serum creatinine or urea) and with normal renal morphology. We studied urinary biomarkers of tubular damage urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (u-NGAL), urinary beta-2-microglobulin (u-B2M), urinary osteopontin (u-OPN), urinary trefoil factor 3 (u-TFF3) and urinary Cystatin C (u-Cys).

Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score as a Potential Prognostic Indicator of In-Hospital Mortality, Sepsis and Length of Stay in an Internal Medicine Department.

The controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score represents poor nutritional status and has been identified as an indicator of adverse outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic role of the CONUT score on in-hospital outcomes in an Internal Medicine Department. This is a retrospective study analyzing data from 369 patients, divided into four groups based on the CONUT score: normal (0-1), mild-high (2-4), moderate-high (5-8), and marked high (9-12).

Increased Platelet Reactivity and Proinflammatory Profile Are Associated with Intima-Media Thickness and Arterial Stiffness in Prediabetes.

Alterations of glucose homeostasis are associated with subclinical vascular damage; however, the role of platelet reactivity in this process has not been fully investigated. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the correlation between markers of platelet reactivity and inflammation and markers of vascular disease in subjects with prediabetes. Markers of platelet reactivity such as 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 urinary levels (11-dh-TXB2) and mean platelet volume (MPV) and inflammatory indexes such as platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were evaluated in subjects with prediabetes ( = 48), new-onset type 2 diabetes (NODM, = 60) and controls ( = 62).

Myocardial deformational adaptations to different forms of training: a real-time three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiographic study.

The hemodynamic load due to physical activity leads to structural and functional cardiac adaptations known as "Athlete's heart". We aimed to compare myocardial performance in different groups of trained athletes by means of 3D echocardiography and 3D speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE). 66 athletes [26 strength-trained athletes (STA) and 40 endurance athletes (ETA)] were prospectively enrolled.

Early changes of left ventricular geometry and deformational analysis in obese subjects without cardiovascular risk factors: a three-dimensional and speckle tracking echocardiographic study.

Subclinical myocardial dysfunction has been identified in obese subjects without cardiovascular risks factors and has been defined as "obesity cardiomyopathy". We evaluated left ventricular (LV) function and geometry in obese patients by using a 3 dimensional echocardiography (3DE). We also aimed to look at the influence of ventricular geometry upon functional parameters of the LV by using 3D speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI).

Feasibility, reproducibility, and agreement between different speckle tracking echocardiographic techniques for the assessment of longitudinal deformation.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) longitudinal deformation can be assessed with new echocardiographic techniques like triplane echocardiography (3PE) and four-dimensional echocardiography (4DE). We aimed to assess the feasibility, reproducibility, and agreement between these different speckle-tracking techniques for the assessment of longitudinal deformation.

Methods: 101 consecutive subjects underwent echocardiographic examination.

Direct Left Ventricular Metastasis Reduction: 3D-Echo Monitoring For Management of Clinical Case.

A 52-year-old woman with a lung carcinoma metastatic to bone was admitted to the Cardiology Department for acute chest pain after 1 week of the oncologic therapy. Electrocardiographic examination (ECG) revealed ischemic picture with ST-T wave abnormalities in DI and aVL leads and poor progression of R wave in V1-V4 leads. Two- and three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D/3D TTE) showed myocardial involvement with infiltration of the anterolateral left ventricular (LV) wall from the epicardial to the endocardial layer, apical hypokinesia, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and global 3D longitudinal strain reduction, but was absent pericardial effusion.

Early cardiovascular remodelling in Fabry disease.

Aims: Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked genetic disorder caused by the deficiency or absent activity of lysosomal α-galactosidase A. Cardiovascular remodelling is a hallmark of FD. The present study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the cardiac, vascular and microvascular status in a population of patients with genetic mutations for FD without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity: Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction Evidence Using Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

Objectives: In our study, we aimed to identify early markers of cardiac dysfunction in patients treated with mitoxantrone. We also looked at cardiac functional changes during therapy by analyzing longitudinal deformation and by measuring left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) global strain.

Materials And Methods: LA and LV global longitudinal strain were analyzed in 20 patients affected by multiple sclerosis and treated with mitoxantrone.