Correlations Between Acute Coronary Syndrome and Novel Inflammatory Markers (Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index, Systemic Inflammation Response Index, and Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation) in Patients with and without Diabetes or Prediabetes.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a recognized independent risk factor for both chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and its complication, acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with DM and prediabetes (preDM) face an increased ACS risk. Inflammation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of both CCS and ACS. This study delves into novel inflammatory markers, such as the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI, also known as SIIRI or PIV), to explore their relationship with ACS and CCS in patients that have been or have not been diagnosed with DM or preDM. Patients and Methods: This study included data of 493 patients with chest pain undergoing coronary angiography. They were categorized into four groups: 1) without DM/preDM and with CCS; 2) with both DM/preDM and CCS; 3) without DM/preDM and with ACS, 4) with both DM/preDM and ACS. Standard methods of statistical analysis were used to reveal possible differences between groups and to find the most influential ACS risk factors in groups with DM/preDM and without DM/preDM. Results: The analysis showed no significant differences in SII, SIRI, or AISI between the respective patient groups. A logistic regression analysis generated a model incorporating SII, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels as the influential ACS risk factors for patients with DM/preDM. The model demonstrated 71.0% accuracy, 37.0% sensitivity, and 89.4% specificity. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the aforementioned inflammatory markers may have potential for distinguishing DM/preDM patients at higher risk of ACS at a low financial cost. However, further comprehensive and well-designed research is required to validate their clinical utility.

People with type 2 diabetes (DM) and prediabetes (preDM) have a higher risk of heart problems. These include chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Inflammation is a key element in these issues. We looked at 493 patients with chest pain. We divided them into groups based on diabetes status (DM/preDM vs no diabetes) and heart conditions (ACS and CCS). We explored new markers related to inflammation. These include the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI) that all can be calculated from simple blood tests. We found no differences in these markers between groups. To understand ACS risk factors better, we used statistical analysis. The model found key factors for patients with DM/preDM: SII, LDL, and low-density lipoprotein levels. It was accurate (71.0%), but sensitivity was 37.0%, and specificity was 89.4%. These markers could be helpful in identifying DM/preDM patients at risk of ACS with low cost tests. We need more research to confirm their use in real-life medical settings.

Letter-speech sound integration in typical reading development during the first years of formal education.

This study investigated the neural basis of letter and speech sound (LS) integration in 53 typical readers (35 girls, all White) during the first 2 years of reading education (ages 7-9). Changes in both sensory (multisensory vs unisensory) and linguistic (congruent vs incongruent) aspects of LS integration were examined. The left superior temporal cortex and bilateral inferior frontal cortex showed increasing activation for multisensory over unisensory LS over time, driven by reduced activation to speech sounds. No changes were noted in the congruency effect. However, at age nine, heightened activation to incongruent over congruent LS pairs were observed, correlating with individual differences in reading development. This suggests that the incongruency effect evolves at varying rates depending on reading skills.

The role of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex in speech processing-The influence of visual deprivation.

The role of the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOT) in reading is well-established in both sighted and blind readers. Its role in speech processing remains only partially understood. Here, we test the involvement of the left vOT in phonological processing of spoken language in the blind (N = 50, age: 6.76-60.32) and in the sighted (N = 54, age: 6.79-59.83) by means of whole-brain and region-of-interest (including individually identified) fMRI analyses. We confirm that the left vOT is sensitive to phonological processing (shows greater involvement in rhyming compared to control spoken language task) in both blind and sighted participants. However, in the sighted, the activation was observed only during the rhyming task and in the speech-specific region of the left vOT, pointing to task and modality specificity. In contrast, in the blind group, the left vOT was active during speech processing irrespective of task and in both speech and reading-specific vOT regions. Only in the blind, the left vOT presented a higher degree of sensitivity to phonological processing than other language nodes in the left inferior frontal and superior temporal cortex. Our results suggest a changed development of the left vOT sensitivity to spoken language, resulting from visual deprivation.

Relationship between Copper, Zinc, and Copper-to-Zinc Ratio in Hair and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease according to the SYNTAX Score.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) continues to be a foremost contributor to global mortality, and the quest for modifiable risk factors could improve prophylactic strategies. Recent studies suggest a significant role of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) deficiency in atheromatous plaque formation. Furthermore, hair was previously described as a valuable source of information on elemental burden during the 6-8 week period before sampling. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of correlation between the extent of CAD evaluated with the SYNergy Between PCI With TAXUS and the Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score with Cu and Zn content in hair samples, as well as with the Cu/Zn ratio in a cohort of 130 patients. Our findings describe a statistically significant inverse correlation between Cu content and the Cu/Zn ratio in hair samples and the extent of CAD. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between Zn content and the extent of CAD. Considering the scarcity of existing data on the subject, the analysis of hair samples could yield a novel insight into elemental deficiencies and their potential influence on CAD extent.

Similarities and differences in the neural correlates of letter and speech sound integration in blind and sighted readers.

Learning letter and speech sound (LS) associations is a major step in reading acquisition common for all alphabetic scripts, including Braille used by blind readers. The left superior temporal cortex (STC) plays an important role in audiovisual LS integration in sighted people, but it is still unknown what neural mechanisms are responsible for audiotactile LS integration in blind individuals. Here, we investigated the similarities and differences between LS integration in blind Braille (N = 42, age range: 9-60 y.o.) and sighted print (N = 47, age range: 9-60 y.o.) readers who acquired reading using different sensory modalities. In both groups, the STC responded to both isolated letters and isolated speech sounds, showed enhanced activation when they were presented together, and distinguished between congruent and incongruent letter and speech sound pairs. However, the direction of the congruency effect was different between the groups. Sighted subjects showed higher activity for incongruent LS pairs in the bilateral STC, similarly to previously studied typical readers of transparent orthographies. In the blind, congruent pairs resulted in an increased response in the right STC. These differences may be related to more sequential processing of Braille as compared to print reading. At the same time, behavioral efficiency in LS discrimination decisions and the congruency effect were found to be related to age and reading skill only in sighted participants, suggesting potential differences in the developmental trajectories of LS integration between blind and sighted readers.