Copeptin levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Background And Aims: The etiology and pathophysiology of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) has not been fully elucidated. A rapid rise in plasma copeptin has been observed in cardiovascular diseases, stroke, sepsis, and shock. This increase has diagnostic and prognostic value.

Saliva/serum ghrelin, obestatin and homocysteine levels in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

Background: We aimed to compare ghrelin, obestatin, homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B and folate levels in the serum and saliva of ischaemic heart disease patients.

Methods: Serum and saliva were collected from 33 ischaemic heart disease (IHD) patients and 28 age- and body mass index-matched healthy individuals. Levels of acylated and desacylated ghrelin, obestatin and Hcy were determined using the ELISA method.

The Incidence and Related Risk Factors of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension after Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Objectives: More than half of (> 50%) the patients with choronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have no acute pulmonary embolism history with clinical signs, so determining the actual incidence and prevalence of CTEPH is difficult. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of CTEPH and the risk factors that may be associated with CTEPH in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

Material And Methods: Three hundred and eighteen patients with acute pulmonary embolism diagnosed by thorax CT or ventilation/perfussion scintigraphy in our clinic were included into this study.

QT interval dispersion in the patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Aim: To evaluate QT dispersion (QTD) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods: This clinical, comperative, case-control study included 30 patients with CSC at acute phase (Group 1) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (Group 2, the control group). From all subjects, a 12-lead surface electrocardiography was obtained.

Relationship between mean platelet volume elevation and left ventricular mass index in hypertensive patients.

Objectives: To compare the mean platelet volume (MPV; a general marker of platelet activation) in groups of patients with and without hypertension and to analyse its relationship with left ventricular mass index (LVMI).

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study enrolled newly diagnosed patients with untreated stage I-II hypertension and healthy control subjects without hypertension. MPV was measured using a haematology analyser.

The effect of acute allergic reactions on diastolic heart function.

Purpose: Diastolic heart failure is characterized by the presence of heart failure symptoms despite preserved systolic function. Cytokines released during allergic reactions may impair diastolic heart function, either through their direct toxic effects or by inducing coronary artery spasm. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute allergic reactions on diastolic heart function.

Twenty four hour imaging delay improves viability detection by Tl-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

Objective: Since twenty-four-hour imaging by Tl-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy has been introduced as an effective additional procedure, the aim of this study was to compare this method's result with only rest redistribution procedure in the diagnosis of myocardial viability.

Methods: Thirty patients (Seven female, 23 male; mean: 59.8 ± 10.

The investigation of serum vaspin level in atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Background: It was speculated that fatty tissue originated adipocytokines may play role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. These adipocytokines may alter vascular homeostasis by effecting endothelial cells, arterial smooth muscle cells and macrophages. Vaspin is a newly described member of adipocytokines family.

Serum salusin-alpha level in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease, leads to early and accelerated atherosclerosis; however, its pathogenesis is not yet fully documented. Salusin-α and β are novel bioactive peptides. Salusin-α suppresses macrophage foam cell formation, while salusin-β stimulates.

Visfatin levels and intima-media thicknesses in rheumatic diseases.

Chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases lead to increased prevalence of atherosclerosis. However, this early and accelerated atherosclerosis cannot be explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors alone. The permanent overexpression of cellular adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines in chronic inflammatory conditions may participate in accelerated atherosclerosis.

Serum adiponectin and vaspin levels in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background And Aims: The risks of insulin resistance and accelerated atherosclerosis are increased in chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Adipo-(cyto)kines are associated with insulin resistance, atherosclerosis and inflammation. This study aimed to determine serum adiponectin and vaspin levels and their associations with the predictors of atherosclerosis in RA and Behcet's disease (BD).

[Percutaneous closure of two atrial septal defects with individual septal occluder devices].

A 20-year-old male patient presented with dyspnea and palpitation. An atrial shunt was detected on transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed two secundum atrial septal defects (ASD), 13 mm and 15 mm in size, respectively.

Is inflammatory bowel disease a risk factor for early atherosclerosis?

Objectives: Chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with an accelerated atherosclerotic process. Recent studies have discussed whether inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) can predict early atherosclerosis. We investigated this possibility.

Adiponectin levels in coronary artery ectasia.

Etiopathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia (CAE), which is defined as abnormal dilatation of a segment of the coronary artery to 1.5 times of an adjacent normal coronary artery segment, is unclear. However, it is speculated that CAE develops in the atherosclerosis process through degeneration of coronary artery media layer.

Insulin resistance is related with oxidative stress in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) that cannot be fully explained by the traditional risk factors. Metabolic alterations like oxidative stress and insulin resistance may be additional risk factors to contribute early and accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE. Our aim was to evaluate malondialdehyde (MDA) level, oxidative stress indicator, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and possible relationship between oxidative stress and insulin resistance, in SLE.

The effect of rapid blood pressure control on P-wave dispersion in hypertensive urgency.

Introduction: A sharp increase in blood pressure, increase in atrial pressure and atrial strain, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) lead to heterogeneity and instability in atrial conduction. The resulting physiopathological situation may elevate maximum Pwave duration (P(max)) and P-wave dispersion (PWD) in electrocardiography. The objective of our study was to explore the effect of the sudden change in atrial hemodynamics on P(max) and PWD, which may indicate the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) development in hypertensive urgency.

Obestatin is present in saliva: alterations in obestatin and ghrelin levels of saliva and serum in ischemic heart disease.

Ghrelin and obestatin are a single gene products and are a multiple functional peptides that regulates energy homeostasis, and food intake. In the present work, we studied the secretion of ghrelin and its co-secreted peptide obestatin in 44 patients with ischemic heart disease with that of 27 healthy matched controls. Here we first conducted using an immunohistochemistry assay to screen whether human salivary glands have any obestatin immunoreactivity.

Are maximum P wave duration and P wave dispersion a marker of target organ damage in the hypertensive population?

Background: High blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction may cause hemodynamic and morphological changes in the left atrium, consequently instability and heterogeneity in atrial conduction. This is seen as an increase in maximum P wave duration (P(max)) and P wave dispersion (PD) on the electrocardiogram (ECG). P wave dispersion on ECG has been encountered as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF).

B-type natriuretic peptide level in the diagnosis of asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction.

Objective: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) reflects the left ventricular pressure and volume overload. It is known that it increases in systolic dysfunction proportionally with left ventricular pressure increase. The BNP levels are well correlated with NYHA classification and prognosis.

The effects of high dose pravastatin and low dose pravastatin and ezetimibe combination therapy on lipid, glucose metabolism and inflammation.

Objective: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is presently the major cause of mortality and morbidity. Anti-hyperlipidemic treatment is one of the main treatment steps in the management of CAD. Statins are the cornerstones in this treatment.

P-wave dispersion in panic disorder.

Background: P-wave dispersion (PWD) is defined as the difference between the maximum and the minimum P-wave (Pmax and Pmin, respectively) duration. Significant variation in cardiac atrial PWD has been correlated with changes in systemic autonomic tone such as during periods of anxiety. It is also known that the degree of PWD seen on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) may be a predictor of susceptibility of the atrial myocardium to future atrial fibrillation (AF).

Effect of diltiazem and metoprolol on left atrial appendix functions in patients with nonvalvular chronic atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: Thrombo-embolic events are the important cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF). The origin of thromboembolism is often the left atrial appendix (LAA). Flow rate velocity (FRV) inside the LAA is the major determinant of thrombus formation.

Effects of tirofiban on acute systemic inflammatory response in elective percutaneous coronary interventions.

Objective: In this study the effect of a specific glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, tirofiban [which also has antiplatelet activity on acute systemic inflammatory responses (IR) during elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)] was evaluated.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stable angina pectoris and similar baseline characteristics who angiographically had a single lesion in their coronary arteries with a PCI performed on that lesion were enrolled in the study. One group of patients (control group, n = 52) received 0.

Effect of renal artery stenting on renal function in patients with ischemic nephropathy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of stenting on blood pressure and renal functions in azotemic patients with proximal/ostial atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Thirteen azotemic patients (5 females, 8 males, average age, 62.7 +/- 8.

[Stenting of renal artery with or without predilatation in hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis: results of the nine-months follow-up].

Objective: We evaluated the effects of stenting on blood pressure and renal functions in hypertensive patients with proximal/ostial atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.

Methods: Twenty-six hypertensive patients (9 female, 17 male, mean age 59.0+/-7.