Association of PRDM16 rs12409277 and CtBP2 rs1561589 gene polymorphisms with lipid profile of adolescents.

Introduction: Positive regulatory domain containing 16 (PRDM16) protein represents the key regulator of brown adipose tissue (BAT) development. It induces brown fat phenotype and represses white adipose tissue specific genes through the association with -terminal binding co-repressor proteins (CtBP1 and CtBP2). In healthy adults presence of BAT has been associated with lower glucose, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Anthropometric and lipid parameters trends in school children: one decade of YUSAD Study.

Introduction: Athersclerosis is a multifactorial disease that begins in childhood. There are few reports regarding influence of risk factors on the atherosclerotic processes in early period of life and adolescence.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present and analyze risk factor trends in school children over a 10-year period that were included and followed-up by the Yugoslav Study of Atherosclerosis Precursors in School Children (YUSAD Study).

Physical activity evaluation in Yugoslav Study of the Precursors of Atherosclerosis in School Children - YUSAD study.

Introduction: It is observed that there is a lack of physical activity and exercise in children, stressing higher prevalence of childhood obesity. The purpose of the study was to evaluate duration of physical activity in a child population and correlation of dynamics in physical activity during 5 years of follow-up in the same population.

Material And Methods: We evaluated 3243 school children from 12 regional centres across Serbia.

Cardiovascular risk factors and blood pressure in a primary care unit: Yugoslav Study of the Precursors of Atherosclerosis in School Children (YUSAD).

Objectives: The presence of cardiovascular risk factors in children may be important in the development of atherosclerosis in adulthood. Adequate control of blood pressure is a cornerstone in atherosclerosis prevention. The aim of the Yugoslav Study of the Precursors of Atherosclerosis in School Children (YUSAD) was to identify risk factors for elevated blood pressure in school children.

Effects of carvedilol on left ventricular function and oxidative stress in infants and children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a 12-month, two-center, open-label study.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effects of carvedilol adjunct to standard treatment on left ventricular function (LVF), estimated as ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) on echocardiography, in children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A secondary end point was to characterize the antioxidant potential of carvedilol.

Methods: Hospitalized children aged View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Off label and unlicensed drugs use in paediatric cardiology.

Objectives: The use of drugs in an off label or unlicensed manner to treat children is a widespread phenomenon in Europe and the United States. The incidence of unlicensed and off label prescribing in paediatric cardiology practice has not been studied to date. This study was designed to assess the extent and nature of off label and unlicensed drug use in paediatric cardiology inpatients.

Effect of posture on heart rate variability spectral measures in children and young adults with heart disease.

Background: Reduction of heart rate variability as a consequence of heart disease and postural change has been well documented. However, the data on the effect of postural change in pediatric patients are incomplete and the effect is not fully understood. The aim of the study was to investigate effect of postural change on heart rate variability in relation to the extent of severity of heart disease.

[Surgery for coarctation of the aorta in infants younger than three months].

Introduction: Recurrent coarctation is a complication which is seen at a consistent rate following repair for coarctation of the aorta in young infants.

Objective: This retrospective analysis was carried out to compare the results between resection with end-to-end anastomosis (ETE), and resection with extended end-to-end anastomosis (E-ETE), in this age group during late follow-up period. The role of ductus arteriosus is not clearly defined and the second objective of this study was to analyze intimal thickening in aortic coarctation.

[Results of treatment of cyanotic heart defects in children].

Cyanotic heart diseases are relatively rare, but they are severe and heterogeneous congenital heart diseases, which require complex surgery. Development of different advanced surgical procedures, such as arterial switch operation (ASO), Fontan and its modifications, Norwood etc. operations, as well as better perioperative care significantly improved survival rate and quality of life of these children.

Transcatheter closure of high pulmonary artery pressure persistent ductus arteriosus with the Amplatzer muscular ventricular septal defect occluder.

Background: The design of devices currently used for closure of persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with high pulmonary artery pressure is not ideal and there is a risk of embolisation into the aorta.

Objective: To investigate the use of the Amplatzer muscular ventricular septal defect occluder (AMVSDO) for treatment of PDA with high pulmonary artery pressure.

Patients And Design: Seven patients, aged 5-12 years, with large PDAs and systemic or near systemic pulmonary artery pressure underwent attempted transcatheter closure using the AMVSDO.

Partial left ventriculectomy in a two-year-old girl with dilated cardiomyopathy.

We report the case of a two-year-old girl with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy who was a status I heart transplant candidate. Partial left ventriculectomy and novel mitral valve repair were performed. Early hemodynamic and functional improvements were maintained at the 18-month follow-up.

Initial clinical experience with PerDUCER device: promising new tool in the diagnosis and treatment of pericardial disease.

Background: The idea to enter the normal pericardial sac safely was unrealistic until recently. The development of a novel instrument (PerDUCER pericardial access device) for percutaneous access to the pericardium could potentially have a significant impact, not only on patients with pericardial diseases but even more, or primarily, on diagnosis and treatment of myocardial and coronary disease and arrhythmias.

Hypothesis: The overall objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the percutaneous pericardial access with PerDUCER in patients with pericardial disease, and to analyze our initial experience with this new technique, with particular emphasis on sequential procedural steps.

Percutaneous balloon dilatation of the atrial septum: immediate and midterm results.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of atrial septostomy by percutaneous balloon dilatation in patients with congenital heart defects or primary pulmonary hypertension.

Patients And Design: Twenty three patients (15 boys, eight girls; aged 10 days to 10 years; 17 with congenital heart defects and six with primary pulmonary hypertension), all haemodynamically unstable under optimal medical treatment, underwent atrial septostomy by percutaneous balloon dilatation.

Interventions: The balloon catheter entered the left atrium through a patent foramen ovale (n = 14) or via transseptal puncture in cases with an intact atrial septum (n = 9).

Myocardial catecholamines in primary heart muscle disease: fact or fancy?

The pathophysiological role of myocardial catecholamines in cardiomyopathies is still not completely understood. We there-fore assessed myocardial catecholamine concentrations (MCC) in 34 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (76.5% males; mean age 46.

Endomyocardial biopsy: a meta-analysis of diagnostic value.

To clarify the controversy of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in terms of its diagnostic value, we performed a meta-analysis of EMB studies published between 1982 and 1993, including our own experience. A total of 255 articles was retrieved using both a computer search of the Medline database and a manual bibliographic search, but only 30 studies with 4,313 patients met the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. The diagnostic value of EMB was classified into four categories, according to the effect of EMB findings on the discharge diagnosis: aetiology uncovered, new diagnosis of heart muscle disease (HMD) revealed, clinical diagnosis confirmed, and no useful information obtained.

Doppler echocardiographic analysis of the transmitral flow velocity profile in patients with ventricular septal defects.

Using continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography, we evaluated the mitral flow velocity pattern in 30 ventricular septal defect patients, 11 of whom had severe pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (Group I); 10 of whom had severe pulmonary hypertension without pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (Group II); and 9 of whom had no pulmonary hypertension and hemodynamically unimportant left-to-right shunts (Group III). In addition, 25 healthy subjects (Group IV) were studied for comparative purposes. The peak velocity of early left ventricular filling (E) was significantly lower in Group I than in all the other groups (p < 0.

[Cardiotoxic effect of anthracycline antibiotics].

Anthracycline antibiotic (Rubidomycin and Adriamycin) are often used for treatment of acute leukemia and variety of solid tumors. The use of greater doses of these agents is mostly limited by the damage of the cardiac muscle and by heart failure. The Rubidomycin cardiac toxicity analysis of children with acute leukemia has been considered in this paper.