Case of atrial tachycardia originating from giant coronary sinus connected to persistent left superior vena cava: successful catheter ablation guided by noncontact mapping.

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation is widely applied to tachyarrhythmia associated not only with structurally normal hearts but also with relatively mild cardiac anomalies. We present a case of 35 year-old female complaining of exercise-induced frequent palpitations caused by atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from giant coronary sinus (CS) connected to persistent left superior vena cava. AT was sensitive to intravenous ATP administration.

Relationship between amiodarone-induced subclinical lung toxicity and Th1/Th2 balance.

Background: Although amiodarone is a potent antiarrhythmic agent, its clinical use is limited by serious lung toxicity. This study investigated the mechanisms of amiodarone-induced lung toxicity from an immunological perspective. Because interferon gamma (IFN-gamma: Th1 cytokine) inhibits pulmonary fibroblast proliferation whereas interleukin-4 (IL-4: Th2 cytokine) augments fibroblast growth and collagen production, we hypothesized that amiodarone lung toxicity is related to Th1/Th2 balance.

Influence of interferon therapy on signal-averaged and ambulatory electrocardiograms in patients with chronic active hepatitis.

Although interferon (IFN) shows cardiotoxicity and arrhythmogenesis, the influence of IFN on signal-averaged electrocardiography remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to test a clinical hypothesis that IFN therapy for hepatitis C virus may induce ventricular late potentials (LPs) and related arrhythmias in patients with chronic active hepatitis. Signal-averaged and ambulatory electrocardiograms were recorded sequentially in patients with chronic active hepatitis C (n = 22) throughout the entire period of IFN therapy.

Arrhythmogenic and inotropic effects of interferon investigated in perfused and in vivo rat hearts: influences of cardiac hypertrophy and isoproterenol.

Although the arrhythmogenic effects of interferon (IF) have been reported in clinical practice, the experimental data are limited. Therefore, these effects were investigated in in vivo and Langendorff-perfusion studies using 3 different groups of rats (ie, control, aorta-banded, and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension groups) in the presence or absence of isoproterenol. In the perfusion study, human recombinant IF-alpha (< or =15,000 U/ml) alone induced irreversible atrioventricular blockade in all groups, whereas this agent (< or =1,500 U/ml) caused negative inotropism and ventricular tachyarrhythmias (arrhythmic score greater in the order of DOCA-salt>aorta-banded = control group) in the preparations pretreated with isoproterenol (10(-9) mol/L).