25-Hydroxy-vitamin D level may predict presence of coronary collaterals in patients with chronic coronary total occlusion.

Introduction: Sufficient coronary collateral circulation (CCC) protects myocardial tissue against ischemia in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). Vitamin D is a steroid hormone which has been related to increased prevalence of hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality.

Aim: To investigate whether there is an association between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels and development of CCC in patients with coronary CTO.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts SYNTAX score in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

In this study we aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) using the SYNTAX score (SXscore). A total of 414 patients with NSTEMI who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in the study. NLR was measured for all patients at presentation.

No relevant association between coronary artery ectasia and mean platelet volume, gamma-glutamyltransferase and uric acid levels.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is an association between mean platelet volume (MPV), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and uric acid and coronary artery ectasia (CAE) in a large patient population.

Study Design: A total of 406 patients (245 male, 161 female; mean age: 55±9 years) were selected retrospectively as the study population from among 3265 individuals who underwent coronary angiography between August 2011 and December 2012. Information regarding blood tests of the patients obtained during hospitalization was extracted from the institute electronic database.

γ-Glutamyl transferase activity and the burden of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

The relationship between extent, severity, and complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity has not been adequately studied. We evaluated the relationship between GGT activity and the burden of CAD as assessed by SYNTAX score (SXscore) in patients with STEMI. A total of 243 patients (age 67.

Assessment of early atherosclerotic findings in patients with nasal polyposis.

Objective: To investigate early markers of atherosclerosis in patients with nasal polyposis (NP) through measurements of carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and serum paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity.

Methods: Forty-five patients with NP were included in the study group and 45 healthy individuals in the control group. The diagnosis of patients with NP was predicated on anterior rhinoscopy, endoscopic nasal examination and coronal paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT).

Predictors of endothelial dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We investigated the predictors of endothelial dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD). The study population included 50 patients with RA and 30 controls. Disease activity score (DAS28) was calculated for patients with RA.

Heart rate recovery is impaired in patients with psoriasis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psoriasis and heart rate recovery (HRR) index.

Patients And Methods: A total of 50 patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis and 32 healthy volunteers were included in the study. In all patients, a stress test was performed to calculate the HRR index in a manner which aimed to reach the age-specific maximum heart rate.

Serum gamma glutamyl transferase and alanine transaminase concentrations predict endothelial dysfunction in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Purpose: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We aimed to investigate the presence of endothelial dysfunction and whether serum concentrations of liver enzymes may reflect the severity of such an endothelial dysfunction in patients with NASH.

Methods: Fifty patients with NASH diagnosed by liver biopsies and 30 healthy controls were included.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with severity of coronary artery ectasia.

We investigated the association between coronary artery ectasia (CAE) and Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an indicator of the inflammatory state. The study population included 434 patients (247 males, mean age 62 ± 10 years) including 230 patients with isolated CAE and 104 patients with coronary artery disease and 100 patientss with normal coronary arteries. The NLR was measured at admission and 30 days after coronary angiography in all the patients.

Mean platelet volume is associated with poor postinterventional myocardial blush grade in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Objective: In a significant proportion of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), microvascular and myocardial reperfusion cannot be regained despite successfully restored thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade 3 epicardial blood flow. Myocardial blush grade (MBG) is a reliable marker for microvascular patency and predicts short-term and long-term mortality after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute STEMI, independent of other variables. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a unique measure of platelet size, is an indicator of platelet reactivity.

The relation of serum γ-glutamyl transferase levels and coronary collateral circulation in patients with chronic coronary total occlusion.

Objectives: Sufficient coronary collateral circulation (CCC) protects myocardial tissue against ischemia in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is an association between serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels and development of CCC in patients with coronary CTO.

Materials And Methods: A total of 203 patients with CTO at coronary angiography were included in this study.