[Validation of a high sensitive troponin 99th percentile obtained in a general hospital].

Introduction: High sensitivity cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) dosage is recommended for myocardial infarction diagnosis, by applying the 99th percentile obtained from a healthy population by the manufacturer. The objective is to validate the 99th percentile in a population from our hospital (99L), compared with the manufacturer´s 99th percentile (99F) by using coronary angiography as gold standard.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of every hs-cTnT (Roche) obtained from patients admitted with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who underwent coronary angiography between 2015 and 2018.

[Effectiveness of transthoracic echocardiogram in patent foramen ovale diagnosis. Systematic review of last ten years.].

Background: Transesophageal echo (TEE) bubble study is the current gold standard for patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis, but it has the disadvantage of being semi-invasive and not exempted from risks. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of TTE compared to TEE for PFO diagnosis.

Methods And Results: a systematic review was done on Medline with the terms "transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, patent foramen ovale, diagnosis" yielding published literature of the last ten years.

[Inconsistency between voltage of the electrocardiogram and the left ventricular wall thickness. diagnostic key in cardiac amyloidosis].

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is the least common form of cardiomyopathy, and the disease that most often cause it, is the system amyloidosis. We present a 62-year-old with a history of heart failure, which in its assessment highlights the discrepancy between the low voltage ventricular complexes in the electrocardiogram and the severity of left ventricular wall thickness on echocardiography. This discrepancy was the source of suspicion and subsequent confirmation of systemic amyloidosis with cardiac involvement.

[Euroscore system validation for cardiac surgery in Cordoba city].

Background: We recommend the use of models to estimate mortality hospital risk in cardiac surgery (CC). The aim of this study was to validate a risk stratification system, widely used as the EuroSCORE (ES), in our institution.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients undergoing CC consecutively between January 2006 and November 2008.

[Atrial fibrillation in postoperative cardiac surgery. Prevalence and hospitalized period].

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder after cardiac surgery. In previous studies it has been associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased costs and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery and its impact on the hospitalization period.

Using polymerase chain reaction in early diagnosis of re-activated Trypanosoma cruzi infection after heart transplantation.

Background: Heart transplantation is an effective treatment for patients with end-stage Chagas' heart disease. Re-activation of Chagas' disease in transplant recipients is frequent, triggered by immunosuppression level. Therefore, highly sensitive methods for early diagnosis of Chagas' disease relapse are necessary to initiate appropriate therapy.

Risk progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: influence of male sex and of parasitaemia detected by polymerase chain reaction.

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood throughout the course of Chagas' disease.

Objective: To determine whether T cruzi DNA detected by PCR is associated with progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

[Serum troponin T in patients with chronic Chagas disease].

High serum levels of T troponin (TnT) have been described in patients with nonischemic myocardiopathies as markers of myocardial damage. We aimed to determine whether a highly sensitive TnT assay could identify patients with early stage chronic Chagas disease cardiopathy. We studied 39 outpatients with a serologic diagnosis of Chagas disease by clinical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.

Serum sialic acid concentration is not associated with the extent or severity of coronary artery disease in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Background: Total serum sialic acid concentration has been reported to predict death from cardiovascular disease. This study was performed to assess the relation between serum sialic acid concentration and the angiographic extent and severity of coronary atheroma in patients with stable angina.

Methods: Quantitative coronary angiography was performed in 40 patients with stable angina with either triple-vessel disease (23 patients) or normal/nearly normal coronary arteries (17 patients).

Differential plasma endothelin levels in subgroups of patients with angina and angiographically normal coronary arteries. Coronary Artery Disease Research Group.

Background: Raised plasma endothelin concentrations have previously been reported in patients with cardiac syndrome X, but it is not known whether these levels vary between clinically distinct subgroups in this heterogeneous condition.

Methods And Results: We compared plasma immunoreactive endothelin levels in 54 patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary angiograms and 21 healthy control subjects. The patient group was divided into 4 clinically distinct subgroups: 7 with left bundle branch block (group A); 7 with previous myocardial infarction (group B); 24 with positive exercise electrocardiography (group C); and 16 with negative exercise electrocardiography (group D).

Serum endothelin levels and pain perception in patients with cardiac syndrome X and in healthy controls.

The possible algogenic effects of elevated serum endothelin levels in cardiac syndrome X were investigated in a case-control study that examined somatic pain perception in the forearm during submaximal effort tourniquet and cold immersion tests. Pain threshold to both ischemic and cold stimulation of the forearm was demonstrated to be significantly lower in patients with syndrome X than in matched healthy controls, and a negative correlation between ischemic pain threshold and endothelin levels was demonstrated.

Human chagasic disease is not associated with an antiheart humoral response.

An inflammatory cardiomyopathy occurs in humans with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Chagas' disease). This study finds that T. cruzi infection is not associated with the production of cardiac-specific autoantibodies in humans with cardiac manifestations.

Heart rate-independent prolongation of QTc interval in women with syndrome X.

Background: Cardiac syndrome X is usually diagnosed in the presence of typical exertional chest pain, a positive response to exercise testing, and normal coronary angiograms. The underlying pathogenic mechanisms are speculative, but myocardial ischemia and increased sympathetic activity have been implicated.

Hypothesis: The present study examined whether QTc interval is prolonged in women with syndrome X when confounding factors such as heart rate, gender, and environmental conditions are accounted for.

Plasma immunoreactive endothelin concentration correlates with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with stable angina pectoris and normal ventricular function.

Objectives: The present study tested the hypothesis that plasma immunoreactive endothelin concentration correlates with the severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Plasma endothelin-1 concentration is increased in patients with unstable coronary syndromes and advanced atherosclerosis. This finding, together with other clinicopathologic observations, suggests that endothelins may participate in the atherogenic process.

Atrial Mechanical Function Before and After Electrical or Amiodarone Cardioversion in Atrial Fibrillation: Assessment by Transesophageal Echocardiography and Pulsed Doppler.

In some patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), it has been suggested that left atrial mechanical dysfunction can develop after successful electrical cardioversion, justifying postcardioversion anticoagulant treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in left atrial appendage peak flow velocities and the incidence of left atrial spontaneous echo contrast in patients with AF before and after electrical cardioversion or intravenous amiodarone, studied using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and pulsed Doppler. We performed a control TEE in 7 patients in the electrical group and 6 in the amiodarone group, with no significant clinical differences between both groups.

[Regional changes of ventricular motility in patients with positive serology for Chagas disease].

The aim of the present study was to carry out a quantitative assessment of the regional left ventricular wall motion and diastolic function of patients with Chagas disease in different clinical stages. Twenty patients with positive immunofluorescence tests for Chagas disease were studied. Eight patients were asymptomatic (class I), 9 patients had electrocardiographic abnormalities (class II) and 3 patients had heart failure (class III).

Concentration of circulating plasma endothelin in patients with angina and normal coronary angiograms.

Background: Some patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary arteriograms have reduced coronary flow reserve and abnormal endothelium dependent vasodilator responses. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, is an important modulator of microvascular function and may also have algogenic properties.

Method: Plasma ET-1 was measured in peripheral venous blood in 40 patients (30 women) (mean (SD) age 56 (8) years) with angina and normal coronary arteriograms and 21 normal controls (17 women) (mean (SD) age 53 (7) years).