Chronic arterial responses to polymer-controlled paclitaxel-eluting stents: comparison with bare metal stents by serial intravascular ultrasound analyses: data from the randomized TAXUS-II trial.

Background: Polymer-controlled paclitaxel-eluting stents have shown a pronounced reduction in neointimal hyperplasia compared with bare metal stents (BMS). The aim of this substudy was to evaluate local arterial responses through the use of serial quantitative intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analyses in the TAXUS II trial.

Methods And Results: TAXUS II was a randomized, double-blind study with 536 patients in 2 consecutive cohorts comparing slow-release (SR; 131 patients) and moderate-release (MR; 135 patients) paclitaxel-eluting stents with BMS (270 patients).

Release of matrix metalloproteinase-9 during balloon angioplasty in patients with stable angina. A preliminary study.

Background: Vascular wall remodeling is a major factor contributing to restenosis after angioplasty that involves migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The release of matrix-degrading metalloproteinases, including metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9, facilitates remodeling. Experimental data suggest that nitric oxide (NO) decreases the activity of metalloproteinases and this may attenuate arterial remodeling after balloon injury.

Early and long-term results of non-surgical septal reduction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Non-surgical septal reduction (NSMR) is a new method of treatment in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The long-term outcome of patients undergoing this procedure has not yet been well established.

Aim: To assess the short- and long-term results of NSMR in HOCM.

Decreased plasma concentration of a novel anti-inflammatory protein--adiponectin--in hypertensive men with coronary artery disease.

Aims: Recent studies indicate that adiponectin may have anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties, suggesting that hypoadiponectinemia can play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Therefore the aim of the study was to assess plasma adiponectin concentration in hypertensive male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Associations of adiponectinemia with other cardiovascular risk factors were also analysed.

Usefulness of 1H MR spectroscopy in the evaluation of myocardial metabolism in patients with dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy: pilot study.

Rationale And Objectives: Primary dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of unknown etiology, and it leads to severe heart failure. Abnormalities of the cardiac metabolism can play an important role in prognosis and influence the symptomatology in this group. The aim of this study was to assess cardiac metabolism using proton spectroscopy magnetic resonance (1H MRS) and to examine whether there is any correlation between cardiac metabolites and functional New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and left ventricular function parameters obtained in echocardiography.

The C677T mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, plasma homocysteine concentration and the risk of coronary artery disease.

Background: The C677T mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene is one of the causes of an elevated homocysteine plasma concentration and is probably one of the atherosclerotic risk factors.

Aim: To assess the relationship between the presence of the MTHFR gene mutation, plasma homocysteine concentration and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: The study group consisted of 120 consecutive patients (78% were male, mean age 59.

Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. In-hospital and mid-term results of invasive treatment in the National Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw-Anin.

Background: Mortality in acute myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by cardiogenic shock approaches 90%, regardless of the type of pharmacological treatment.

Aim: To assess in-hospital and mid-term results of invasive treatment of patients with acute MI with ST segment elevation (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Methods: From a prospective registry of all patients admitted to our institution for urgent coronary angiography due to acute coronary syndrome between February 2001 and June 2002, patients with STEMI, symptom duration up to 12 hours and cardiogenic shock diagnosed on admission were identified.

Long-term results of Fontan procedure in 43 patients.

Background: The Fontan operation eliminates the systemic hypoxemia and ventricular volume overload characteristic of prior forms of palliation, however, late outcome of systemic venous and right atrial hypertension were unknown when the procedure was initially proposed.

Aim: We assessed the late mortality and the present clinical status atresia and other forms of univentricular heart who had modified Fontan procedure performed between 1981 and 1998, and survived early perioperative period.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical records of 43 early survivors of the modified Fontan procedure.

Effect of pexelizumab, an anti-C5 complement antibody, as adjunctive therapy to fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction: the COMPlement inhibition in myocardial infarction treated with thromboLYtics (COMPLY) trial.

Background: Complement activation mediates myocardial damage that occurs during ischemia and reperfusion through multiple pathways. We performed 2 separate, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to determine the effects of pexelizumab (a novel C5 complement monoclonal antibody fragment) on infarct size in patients receiving reperfusion therapy: COMPlement inhibition in myocardial infarction treated with thromboLYtics (COMPLY) and COMplement inhibition in Myocardial infarction treated with Angioplasty (COMMA). The COMPLY trial is reported here.

Pexelizumab, an anti-C5 complement antibody, as adjunctive therapy to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction: the COMplement inhibition in Myocardial infarction treated with Angioplasty (COMMA) trial.

Background: Complement, activated during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, causes myocardial damage through multiple processes. The COMplement inhibition in Myocardial infarction treated with Angioplasty (COMMA) trial was performed to determine the effect of pexelizumab, a C5 complement inhibitor, on infarct size in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (MI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods And Results: In COMMA, 960 patients with MI (20% isolated inferior MI) were randomized to placebo, pexelizumab 2.

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy: evidence for clinical and immunogenetic heterogeneity.

Background: There is increasing awareness of the familial nature of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Mutations in the genes coding for cytoskeletal and sarcomere proteins have been identified. Phenotyping of familial DCM (FDCM) may help to improve genetic diagnosis.

Sudden death in noncoronary heart disease is associated with delayed paced ventricular activation.

Background: Slowed or delayed myocardial activation and dispersed refractoriness predispose to reentrant excitation that may lead to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Increased ventricular electrogram duration (DeltaED) in response to extrastimuli and increased S1S2 coupling intervals at which electrogram duration starts to increase (S1S2delay) are seen both in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in those at risk of VF and in patients with idiopathic VF (IVF).

Methods And Results: DeltaED and S1S2delay have been measured using paced electrogram fractionation analysis in 266 patients with noncoronary heart disease.

[Echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial function in dilated cardiomyopathy with restricted and non-restricted Doppler transmitral flow].

Unlabelled: Left atrial (LA) function is of great importance in left ventricular (LV) filling. There is evidence that echocardiographic Doppler evaluation of transmitral flow, routinely used for LV filling estimation, is dependent on LA function. Information regarding the relation of LA size and function to transmitral flow in heart failure is limited.

[Level of angiotensin II and aldosterone in plasma is often elevated in patients with heart failure treated with converting enzyme inhibitors--preliminary results].

In large randomised trials, ACE inhibitors (ACEI) have been shown to reduce mortality, morbidity and improve quality of life in patients (pts) with congestive heart failure. However, long-term prognosis of patients in the community remains poor. It has been suggested that one of the reasons may be inadequate neuroendocrine suppression with current treatment strategies.

Prognostic significance of heart rate variability in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Identifying high-risk individuals among patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major and unsolved task of clinical cardiology. We aimed to determine prognostic significance of heart rate variability (HRV) for predicting cardiac events in DCM patients with markedly depressed left ventricular function.

Methods: In 69 DCM patients in sinus rhythm, with normal coronary angiography and mean ejection fraction 32 (11%) cardiac events defined as cardiac death or heart transplantation during a mean 20-month follow-up were related to baseline time-domain HRV parameters calculated from 24-h digital Holter monitoring.

Staged transcatheter closure of chronic postinfarction ventricular septal defects with the Amplatzer septal occluder.

Ventricular septal rupture is a serious complication of myocardial infarction with an extremely poor outcome. There are single reports of transcatheter closure of postmyocardial septal defects and clinical experience is limited. This paper reports on a successful staged transcatheter closure of two chronic postmyocardial defects using the Amplatzer septal occluder in a 52-year-old male.

Unexpected eosinophilic myocarditis in a young woman with rapidly progressive dilated cardiomyopathy.

We present the case of 23-year-old woman with good living conditions, one year history of ventricular arrhythmia and 6 months history of decreased exercise tolerance, who was found to have dilated cardiomyopathy after aborted sudden death. Endomyocardial biopsy did not show specific findings. Within 3 months she developed profound bradycardia requiring pacemaker implantation and refractory heart failure, treated with heart transplantation.

[Frequency of DRB1* and DQB1* alleles in Polish patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].

We investigated distribution of HLA class II alleles among 52 unrelated patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (25 consecutive men, 27 consecutive women, mean age 38 +/- 16 years) to determine if there is any immunogenetic predisposition to the disease. DCM was diagnosed according to WHO criteria. HLA-DR and DQ alleles were examined by PCR-SSP typing.

Late results of percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy in patients with restenosis after surgical commissurotomy compared to patients with 'de-novo' stenosis.

Background And Aims Of The Study: The outcome of percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy (BMC) has been reported as poor in patients with prior surgical commissurotomy. The study aim was to evaluate immediate and long-term follow up results of BMC in patients with restenosis after surgical commissurotomy compared to patients with 'de-novo' mitral stenosis.

Methods: Between October 1988 and September 1999, a total of 1,027 patients underwent BMC.