Serum myeloperoxidase level is associated with heart-type fatty acid-binding protein but not troponin T in patients with chronic heart failure

Our aim was to investigate the possible relationship between myeloperoxidase [MPO] and myocardial damage markers such as heart-type fatty acid-binding protein [H-FABP] and troponin T [TnT] in patients with chronic heart failure [HF]. Materials and Forty-two consecutive patients [age range: 27-80 years] with chronic HF were enrolled in the study. Serum H-FABP, TnT and MPO levels were measured. Routine biochemical and clinical parameters were recorded. Echocardiographic examinations were performed on all patients. A linear regression analysis was performed to determine the correlates of serum H-FABP. The MPO, H-FABP and TnT levels were 255 +/- 227, 60.6 +/- 48.5 and 0.07 +/- 0.15 ng/ml, respectively. In multiple linear regression analysis, age [beta = -0.36, p = 0.006], creatinine level [beta = 0.3, p = 0.024] and serum MPO level [beta = 0.41, p = 0.009] were significant determinants of H-FABP levels. Bivariate predictors were not significantly associated with TnT levels in linear regression analyses. The MPO was significantly associated with serum H-FABP levels but not with TnT

Impairment in flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial artery in acromegaly

The aim of this study was to assess flow-mediated dilatation [FMD] of the brachial artery in patients with acromegaly. We prospectively evaluated 25 patients with acromegaly [14 females, 11 males; aged 42 +/- 12 years; growth hormone [GH] levels 34 +/- 14 ng/ml] and 27 control subjects [15 females, 12 males; aged 45 - 8 years; GH levels 3 +/- 1.5 ng/ml]. The patients and controls were matched for age, gender, body mass index, cigarette smoking, blood pressure, lipid levels, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and its duration. Endothelial function, measured as FMD of the brachial artery using ultrasound, was calculated in the 2 groups. The endothelial function was evaluated by assessing 1-min postischemic FMD of the brachial artery. The FMD was lower in patients with acromegaly [9.97 +/- 3.5%] than in controls [16.1 +/- 3.4%], and the difference was statistically significant [p = 0.0001]. Endothelial dysfunction may develop in the preclinical phase of atherosclerosis in patients with acromegaly. Endothelium-dependent FMD may be impaired in acromegalic patients, and measurement of endothelial function may identify high-risk individuals earlier