Everolimus-eluting stents versus sirolimus-eluting stents in patients with cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Introduction: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy remains one of the most important factors leading to chronic cardiac allograft rejection. When revascularization is needed percutaneous coronary interventions are the method of choice.

Aim: To compare the short- and long-term outcomes of cardiac allograft vasculopathy patients treated with everolimus- (EES) or sirolimus-eluting stents (SES).

Factors Associated with Ineffectiveness of Sildenafil Treatment in Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure and Elevated Pulmonary Vascular Resistance.

Introduction: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) unresponsive to vasodilator treatment is a marker of heart failure (HF) severity, and an important predictor of poor results of heart transplantation (HT).

Objective: We sought to analyze factors associated with ineffectiveness of sildenafil treatment in end-stage HF patients with elevated PVR with particular emphasis placed on tenascin-C (TNC) serum concentrations.

Patients And Methods: The study is an analysis of 132 end-stage HF patients referred for HT evaluation in the Cardiology Department between 2015 and 2018.

Investigation of the Role of Oxidative Stress and Factors Associated with Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy in Patients after Heart Transplantation.

Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the production of free radicals and their elimination by the antioxidant defense system. However, the role of oxidative stress in cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) has not been fully understood. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the role of oxidative-antioxidative balance disturbances in patients after HT.

Adiponectin in heart failure.

The adipose tissue, apart from storing energy, plays a role of an endocrine organ. One of the most important adipokines secreted by adipose tissue is adiponectin, which is also produced by cardiomyocytes and connective tissue cells within the heart. Adiponectin is known for its beneficial effect on the metabolism and cardiovascular system and its low level is a factor of development of many cardiovascular diseases.

Factors associated with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in ambulatory patients with end-stage heart failure accepted for heart transplant.

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of heart failure (HF) that results in worse prognosis and heart complications following heart transplantation. To better define and understand left‑sided PH, it is necessary to integrate the clinical context, noninvasive assessment, and invasive hemodynamic variables.

Objective: The aim of the study was to search for noninvasive factors related to the presence of PH with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with advanced HF.

Apelin Improves Prognostic Value of HFSS (Heart Failure Survival Score) and MAGGIC (Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure) Scales in Ambulatory Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure.

This prospective study aimed to determine the effect of adding apelin to the MAGGIC (Meta-Analysis Global Group In Chronic Heart Failure) and HFSS (Heart Failure Survival Score) scales for predicting one-year mortality in 240 ambulatory patients accepted for heart transplantation (HT) between 2015-2017. The study also investigated whether the combination of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with MAGGIC or HFSS improves the ability of these scales to effectively separate one-year survivors from non-survivors on the HT waiting list. The median age of the patients was 58.

Visfatin serum concentration is associated with cardiac allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) still is one of the most important limiting factors of long-term survival following heart transplant (HT). This study aimed to investigate the association between proinflammatory adipokine-visfatin and the incidence of CAV in HT recipients. After HT, 182 patients who had a follow-up visit at the Transplantation Clinic between 2016 and 2017 were analyzed.

Modified Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Is an Indicator of the Ineffectiveness of Sildenafil Treatment in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure and Increased Pulmonary Vascular Resistance.

Background: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is a risk factor for early right ventricular failure and poor prognosis after heart transplantation (HT) as well as an indication for treatment with vasodilators. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the baseline values of the modified Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (modMELD) score and the presence of elevated PVR in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) after 6 months of sildenafil treatment.

Materials And Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 86 adult patients with end-stage HF who were evaluated for HT at our institution between 2015 and 2017.

Everolimus-Eluting Second-Generation Stents for Treatment of De Novo Lesions in Patients with Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is a major cause of cardiac allograft rejection. Percutaneous coronary intervention has become the main form of treatment of significant focal lesions. Despite the significance of the problem, data remain scarce.

Mortality risk factors in patients with advanced heart failure and diabetes mellitus.

Background: An accurate assessment of prognosis is an important element of the management of patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM), due to the particularly unfavourable effect of concomitance of both diseases on their course and treatment efficacy.   Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients with HF and DM.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 367 consecutive patients with advanced HF (New York Heart Association class III-IV) and DM, hospitalised in a referral centre for interventional cardiology between 2009 and 2013, was performed.

Prognostic scales in advanced heart failure.

Heart transplantation (HT) is the treatment of choice for patients with advanced heart failure (HF) who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy. Due to the shortage of organs for transplantation and constantly increasing number of patients placed on waiting lists, accurate risk stratification is a crucial element of management in this population. Prognostic scales allow one to evaluate the patient prognosis, estimate the potential benefits of therapy and identify those patients most likely to benefit from advanced methods of treatment.

Obesity in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Obesity poses an increasing problem in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). The most commonly used indicator of obesity is body mass index. The value of this parameter is widely taken into consideration when selecting the best way of treatment for patients with advanced HF.

Prognostic value of selected risk scales in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Background: Due to the increasing number of patients placed on waiting lists for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT), the selection of patients with the highest risk of death has become paramount.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease eXcluding INR (MELD-XI) and Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) scales in ambulatory patients awaiting OHT and compare them to the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS).

Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 370 adult ambulatory patients with end-stage heart failure, who were added to the OHT waiting list at our institution between 2012 and 2016.

Prognostic utility of the N terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide and the modified Model for End Stage Liver Disease in patients with end stage heart failure.

INTRODUCTION    The N terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT proBNP) is secreted by cardiomyocytes in response to increased wall stress resulting from pressure and volume overload. The modified Model for End Stage Liver Disease (modMELD) scale reflects the systemic effect of heart failure (HF), which includes end-organ congestion and subsequent hepatic and renal dysfunction. OBJECTIVES    The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic accuracy of NT proBNP and the modMELD score, as well as to compare their usefulness in the risk stratification of patients with end-stage HF awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT).

Clinical features, management and mortality in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with heart failure - observations from the COMMIT-HF registry.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF) are two common diseases that often co-exist.

Aim: To explore clinical characteristics, management strategies and rates of 3-year mortality among diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalised in a highly specialized interventional cardiology centre.

Material And Methods: We used data from COMMIT-HF (COnteMporary Modalities In Treatment of Heart Failure), which is a single-centre, observational, prospective registry of patients with symptomatic chronic systolic HF (LVEF < 35%).

The evaluation of the changes in enzymatic antioxidant reserves and lipid peroxidation in chosen parts of the brain in an animal model of Parkinson disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The causes of Parkinson's disease are not fully understood; however, increasing evidence implicates oxidative stress.

Objectives: The study was aimed at assessing the nature of the changes in the oxidation-antioxidant balance in the cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD).

One‑year survival of ambulatory patients with end‑stage heart failure: the analysis of prognostic factors.

INTRODUCTION    An increasing number of ambulatory patients are placed on orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) waiting lists, which results in an extended waiting time and a higher mortality rate. OBJECTIVES    The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with reduced survival during a 1‑year follow‑up in patients with end‑stage heart failure listed for an OHT. PATIENTS AND METHODS    We retrospectively analyzed the data of 221 adult patients, who were accepted for OHT in our institution over a 2‑year period between 2013 and 2014.

Effects of Propofol on Oxidative Stress Parameters in Selected Parts of the Brain in a Rat Model of Parkinson Disease.

Introduction: Propofol is an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent that is commonly used to induce and maintain general anaesthesia. This drug has antioxidant properties, which are partly caused by a phenolic structure similar to α-tocopherol. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of propofol on the level of oxidative stress biomarkers in the frontal cortex, striatum, thalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum in rats with experimental Parkinson's disease (PD).

Effects of Propofol on the Liver Oxidative-Antioxidant Balance in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease is caused by the destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. One of the possible factors involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is impaired oxidativeantioxidative balance.

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate selected parameters of the liver oxidative-antioxidative system in a Wistar rat model with Parkinson's disease treated with propofol.

Mechanical circulatory support in heart failure.

The increasing number of end-stage heart failure patients eligible for heart transplant and the disproportionately low number of donor hearts have led to increased interest in ventricular assist devices (VAD). These devices can be used as a bridge to decision, bridge to recovery, or bridge to candidacy. The main advantage of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is the improvement of organ perfusion and function, which leads to better quality of life and survival.

Risk factors of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Despite advances in prevention and treatment of heart transplant rejection, development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains the leading factor limiting long-term survival of the graft. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy etiopathogenesis is not fully understood, but a significant role is attributed to endothelial cell damage, caused by immunological and non-immunological mechanisms. Immunological factors include the differences between the recipient's and the donor's HLA systems, the presence of alloreactive antibodies and episodes of acute rejection.

Oxidative stress and inflammatory markers - the future of heart failure diagnostics?

Heart failure remains one of the most important problems in cardiology despite the progress in its treatment. A number of recent studies have demonstrated the relationship between the intensification of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation and the severity of left ventricular dysfunction, development of heart failure symptoms, and prediction of future cardiac events. Early detection of changes developing in the heart is key in improving the treatment's effectiveness.

The role of statins in patients after heart transplantation.

Numerous studies have shown that statin therapy initiated early after heart transplantation improves the short- and long-term prognosis, leading to a reduction in the incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), acute rejection episodes and significantly lowers the incidence of cancer in this patient population. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of statins in patients after heart transplantation are complex; the effectiveness of statins is associated not only with their hypolipemic action, but also with their pleiotropic properties. Statins have been shown to exert protective and therapeutic effects against cancer because they act as antiproliferative agents, promoting apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis.

The role of statins in chronic heart failure.

The efficacy of statins in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with documented coronary artery disease is unquestionable. However, in chronic heart failure (CHF), evidence regarding the beneficial effects of statin therapy remains contradictory. Although numerous retrospective studies have demonstrated improved prognosis in CHF patients treated with statins, two randomized trials, GISSI-HF and CORONA, have not confirmed the benefit of rosuvastatin in this group of patients.