ABSTRACT
Background:Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is a common but often under diagnosed condition.According to literature,OSA prevalence in atrialfibrillation (AF) patients varies from 21 to 85%. OSA is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for biventricular dysfunction. The present study aimed to compare left and right ventricular functions, assessed by conventional echocardiographic parametersand speckle tracking imaging, in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with and without severe OSA.Methods: Across-sectional analytic study was conducted. Forty successive patients with NVAF were included. All of them had a clinical screeningfor symptoms suggestive of OSA and underwent polysomnographic study. Patients were divided into two groups (group 1: without severe OSA with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 30 events per hour (e/h), and group 2: having severe OSA with an AHI ≥ 30 e/h). Echocardiography was performed in all patients. Left and right ventricular function parameters were measured including global longitudinal strain (GLS) and myocardial performance index (MPI).Results: OSA was diagnosed in 90% of NVAF patients. The average AHI was 22.1 ± 13 e/h.Eleven patients (27.5%) had mild OSA, 9 patients (22.5%) had moderate OSA, and 16 patients (40%) had severe OSA.General clinical characteristics were comparable between groups.A statistically significant association was demonstrated between severe OSA and impairment of left ventricular GLS (-17.3 ± 4.5 vs. -14.9 ± 3%, in group 1 and 2 respectively, p = 0.02) and left ventricular MPI (0.37 ± 0.09 vs. 0.49 ± 0.13, in group 1 and 2 respectively, p = 0.01).Right ventricular lateral wall strain was non significantly lower in group 1 compared to group 2 (-22.5 ± 8.4 vs. -18.4 ± 5.8%, in group 1 and 2 respectively, p = 0.15).On multivariate logistic regression analysis, left ventricular GLS impairment (> -18%) and MPI > 0.37 were independent predictors of severe OSA.Conclusion: Severe OSA was diagnosed in 40% of NVAF patients. Impairment of left ventricular GLS and left MPI were statistically associated with severe OSA
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Arthrospira platensis Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) for colon cancer and kidney cell lines. Results showed that EPS were free from cytotoxic effects. A variety of solvents were assessed for their ability to extract the bioactive ingredients from EPS. Methanol gave the highest yield (75.75 percent) than other solvents. The extracts were tested for activities against a collection of Gram+/- bacteria. The methanol extract exhibited a more potent activity than the other organic extracts, whereas the aqueous extract was active against Staphylococcus epidermis (Gram+) and Salmonella typhimurium (Gram-). Finally, The extracts were also tested for the antioxidant activity, using the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Activity assay. The methanol extract displayed a moderate antioxidant activity (TEAC = 0.027 mg/ml). The HPLC analysis of this extract revealed two distinct peaks: 8.1 kDa (8.31 min) and 4.1 kDa (8.54 min).