The increased plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery are associated with the interleukin-6-174G > C gene polymorphism.

Background: The interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter -174G/C polymorphism (rs1800795) is associated with enhanced systemic inflammatory response to injury. However, data on the effect of this polymorphism on inflammatory markers in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) are inconsistent. The aim of our study was to investigate whether -174G/C IL-6 polymorphism affects plasma IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in patients undergoing CABG.

Effect of aortic valve stenosis on haemostasis is independent from vascular atherosclerotic burden.

Objective: The aim of study was to assess whether activation of blood coagulation and platelets is enhanced in aortic stenosis (AS) and if so, to determine factors that might modulate these processes.

Patients/methods: Seventy-five patients with AS (48 males, 27 females, aged 65+/-10 years) were enrolled in the study. A control group comprised 75 age- and sex-matched subjects.

Efficacy of intra-operative radiofrequency ablation in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation undergoing concomitant mitral valve replacement.

Background: Permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) is present before operation and persists after surgery in 30-40% of patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Using the maze procedure, 75-82% of patients can be cured of AF, but the procedure is difficult and long lasting. Percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation has emerged as an effective therapy for AF in recent years.

Brugada syndrome: From diagnosis to treatment.

Brugada syndrome is electrocardiographically characterised by ST segment elevation in right precordial leads and the occurrence of episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. It is also associated with a high risk of sudden death, which may be the first manifestation of the disease. Various mutations of SCN5A gene encoding for the cardiac sodium channel are among the proven causes of BS.

Submassive pulmonary embolism as a mask of acute coronary syndrome.

The paper presents a case of a 77-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital suffering from chest pain. The ECG showed horizontal ST segment depression in the V4-V6 leads. Non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome was diagnosed.

[Factors influencing thrombin generation measured as thrombin-antithrombin complexes levels and using calibrated automated thrombogram in patients with advanced coronary artery disease].

Introduction: Haemostatic factors play an important role in atherothrombosis. Thrombin generation is a crucial stage of blood coagulation.

Objectives: Comparison of different thrombin generation markers: thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) generation and calibrated automated thrombogram method (CAT).

[Causes of atrial fibrillation early after coronary artery bypass grafting].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to define the frequency of atrial fibrillation early after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and clinical risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation in the post-operative course. The study population consisted of 1578 patients (1283 men and 295 women ranging in age from 25 to 85 years, mean age 59.373 +/- 8.

[Patients history following artificial aortic valve and pacemaker implantation].

Unlabelled: The follow-up of 22 patients (out of 31 patients after artificial aortic valve and pacemaker implantation between 1982 and 2001) have been evaluated. There were 15 men aged 30-76 (x=55) and 7 women aged 43-69 (x=59). Aortic valve replacement (AVR) was subsequently followed by pacemaker implantation (PI) after approximately 16 days.

[Atrial fibrillation in a long-term follow-up after mitral valve replacement].

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to analyse cardiac rhythm after mitral valve replacement and to define pre-operative predictive factors for persistence of atrial fibrillation.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 76 consecutive pts (54 F, 22 M), mean age 54.8 +/- 8.

[Radiofrequency ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation undergoing mitral valve replacement].

The most frequent arrhythmia is an atrial fibrillation, which involves 10% of population over 70. The mortality in this group is 2 times higher than in general population. Moreover, if the atrial fibrillation co-exists with the rheumatic disease, the risk of the brain embolism is growing up 17 times.

[Asymptomatic carotid stenosis: ACS].

Asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) is the lesion located in the vicinity of the common carotid artery branching, without neurological symptoms caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain. Cerebrovascular diseases represent an important medical as well as social problem, since this is one of the leading causes of mortality and serious invalidity worldwide. Majority of brain insults are caused by stenosing atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid arteries.

[Selected aspects of diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias. Some aspects of arrhythmogenic mechanisms].

The mechanisms responsible for the development of cardiac arrhythmias have been discussed, including altered automaticity, triggered activity and reentry. The role of the substrate, triggering factor and factors modifying the development of the reentry has also been analysed. The contribution of electromechanical interactions to the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias has been found noteworthy.

[Relationship between pain and panic in mitral valve prolapse syndrome].

The study aimed at assessing a relationship between pain and panic in the echocardiographically confirmed mitral valve prolapse syndrome. Thirty three patients, 23 women and 10 men, were included. Mean age was 32 years.

Ventricular arrhythmias and the autonomic tone in patients with mitral valve prolapse.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relation between the autonomic tone determined by daily urine catecholamine excretion and the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The study included 53 patients (31 women and 22 men) aged 19-52 years (mean age 32.7).

The effect of enalapril on cardiac arrhythmias in patients with congestive heart failure.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of enalapril on the frequency of ventricular premature beats in patients with congestive heart failure. The study group consisted of 30 patients with a mean age of 47 +/- 0.6 years with chronic congestive heart failure (NYHA classes III and IV) due to primary dilated cardiomyopathy and cardiomyopathy in the course of ischaemic heart disease.

[Signal-averaged ECG and left-ventricular function in patients with severe ventricular arrhythmia in ischemic heart disease].

In 35 patients with ischemic heart disease we evaluated the incidence of ventricular late potentials and left ventricular function. The patients were divided into two groups: group A consisting of 15 patients (14 men, 1 woman) aged from 40 to 71 years (mean age 56) with previously documented ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, and into group B comprising 20 subject (16 men, 4 women) aged from 35 to 62 years (mean age 50) with ischemic heart disease without the above-mentioned arrhythmias. Time from the development of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation was 3 weeks to 4 years.

[Arrhythmia in patients with mitral valve prolapse syndrome and the status of the sympathetic nervous system].

The study aimed at evaluating a possible relationship between the adrenergic system tone determined with the excretion of catecholamines with the urine and an incidence of the ventricular arrhythmias in patients with the mitral valve prolapse. The study included 20 patients (13 women and 7 men aged between 20 and 50 years; mean = 31.6 years) with the mitral valve prolapse syndrome diagnosed with the aid of the patients' history, physical examinations and echocardiography.

[Complex ventricular arrhythmias in ischemic heart disease].

The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical picture in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and verifying severity of ventricular arrhythmias. The study included 856 patients with IHD aged 23-88 years (mean = 55.3), including 659 men and 197 women.

[The effects of lorcainide on the ECG pattern and left ventricular function in a patient with recurrent ventricular tachycardia].

The paper presents an adverse effect of Lorcainide on the electrocardiographic pattern and left ventricular function in a patient with recurrent ventricular tachycardia in the course of arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Based upon this case report a relatively new and not well known phenomenon of drug arrhythmogenesis is presented.

Clinical value of cordarone as an antiarrhythmic agent.

The antiarrhythmic efficacy of Cordarone was studied in 90 patients (64 men and 26 women) aged 16-76. Cordarone appeared to be efficacious in the treatment of resistant arrhythmias, particularly ventricular extrasystoles and paroxysmal tachycardia in the WPW syndrome. Total disappearance of dysrhythmias was achieved in 40%, and good therapeutic effects in 32% of patients (an overall 72 percent success).