Cardiac troponin-T in pre-end stage kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin T level (cTnT) is commonly increased in end stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the absence of acute myocardial infarction. There are few data available on serum cTnT concentration in patients with pre-end stage CKD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of cTnT level and severity of kidney disease in patients with CKD stage 3 and 4 and to evaluate whether there is a relationship between left ventricular mass index and cTnT level. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Patients (103) with CKD stage 3-4 between 26 and 85 years of age (mean 60.0 +/- 11.9) entered the present study. Serum cTnT determined using a third-generation electrochemiluminescent immunoassay on an Elecsys 2010 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics Ltd.). All patients underwent echocardiography. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was considered when LV mass index exceeded 125 g/m2. RESULTS: Overall, 28 patients (28.2%) had cTnT > 0.01 micro/L and two patients (1.8%) had cTnT > 0.1 microg/L cTnT concentration was commonly increased in more severe CKD (9 patients in stage 3 and 20 patients in stage 4). LVH was not associated with increased cTnT (p=0.105). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the elevated cTnT > 0.01 microg/L is relatively common in patients with CKD stage 3-4 who do not require dialysis treatment, however serum cTnT level above > 0.1 microg/L is uncommon in this population. Increased serum cTnT is associated with decreased renal clearance but not LVH.

Predictive factors of systemic embolism in patients with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm.

BACKGROUND: Systemic embolism is one of the major complications in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) who are in atrial fibrillation; however, this serious complication can also occur in patients with MS in sinus rhythm. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to identify the predictive factors of systemic emboli in patients with MS in sinus rhythm. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty patients with MS in sinus rhythm with recent cerebral embolism and 32 with MS in sinus rhythm without any history of systemic embolism were studied between January 2004 and May 2006. Clinical and echocardiographic data were assessed using stepwise logistic regression for prediction of systemic embolism. RESULTS: Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.26) and left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (LASEC) grade 3+ and 4+ (OR, 46.42; 95% CI, 5.00-436.49) were associated with, and predictive of systemic emboli, whereas left atrial appendage contraction flow velocities, left atrial size and mitral valve area were not. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that age and LASEC are the major predictive factors of systemic embolism in patients with MS in sinus rhythm. It would therefore be prudent to give anticoagulants to patients in atrial fibrillation as well as to those in sinus rhythm at risk of systemic embolism.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality in non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome in Thai Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry (TACSR).

OBJECTIVE: To determine baseline prognostic factors of in-hospital mortality in Thai patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Among 5,537 NSTE-ACS patients enrolled in Thai Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry, a univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to estimate the relationship of baseline clinical variables and in-hospital mortality. Variables examined included demographics, history and presenting characteristics. RESULTS: The in-hospital mortality rate was 9.5%. The statistically significant, adjusted baseline prognostic factors of in-hospital death were older age > or =65 years) (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.54-3.09), shock at presentation (OR 4.6, 95%CI = 2.91-7.32), heart failure (OR 3.1, 95%CI = 2.15-4.38), positive cardiac marker (OR 1.7, 95%CI = 1.18-2.53), arrhythmia (OR 12.3, 95%CI = 8.71-17.35), major bleeding (OR 2.9, 95%CI = 1.84-4.51), and cerebrovascular accident (OR 4.9, 95% CI = 2.42-9.97). While dyslipidemia (OR 0.6, 95%CI = 0.45-0.87), having percutaneous coronary intervention (OR 0.6, 95% CI = 0.39-0.94), receiving aspirin (OR 0.6, 95%CI = 0.33-0.94), beta-blocker (OR 0.5, 95% CI = 0.40-0.73), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (OR 0.6, 95% CI = 0.43-0.78) and nitrate (OR 0.5, 95%CI= 0.35-0.76) were associated with lower in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: The in-hospital mortality is higher in Thai NSTE-ACS patients compared to other populations. The present study supports and confirms the prognostics importance of several baseline characteristics reported in previous studies.