Tumour necrosis factor-alpha in diastolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Active relaxation develops as a result of sequestration of calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and is controlled mainly by sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban.Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) downregulates both of these proteins, so it may play a role in the development of abnormal relaxation. However, a possible relationship between TNF-alpha and diastolic dysfunction has not been sufficiently evaluated in vivo. We investigated whether circulating levels of TNF-alpha increased in patients with relaxation abnormality. METHODS: Forty hypertensive patients with normal left ventricular systolic function were enrolled in the study. Age-adjusted values of echocardiographically measured mitral inflow velocities, E-wave deceleration time and isovolemic relaxation time were used to define normal and abnormal relaxation. Twenty of the patients (mean age 59.2 +/- 10.6) had a relaxation abnormality (group I), and the twenty other patients (mean age 45.9 +/- 7.9) had a normal diastolic function (group II). TNF-alpha levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of interventricular septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, plasma creatinin level, and medication. Patients with a relaxation abnormality were older than those with a normal diastolic function (p < 0.001). TNF-alpha levels were similar in both groups (62.1 +/- 46.0 pg/ml for group I, and 48.7 +/- 51.4 pg/ml for group II, p = 0.089). CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study, we demonstrated that TNF-alpha levels did not increase in patients with a relaxation abnormality. However, we think that a possible relationship between TNF-alpha and diastolic dysfunction should be clarified by further studies involving a larger number of patients with a wider spectrum of diastolic dysfunction.

Comparison of clopidogrel versus ticlopidine for prevention of minor myocardial injury after elective coronary stenting.

We searched a randomized, double-blinded, prospective study that compared the effectiveness of clopidogrel versus ticlopidine for prevention of minor myocardial injury (MMI) and major clinical events (MCEs) after elective coronary stenting. A total of 158 consecutive patients (98 male, 60 female patients with a mean age of 59.3+/-5.4 years) were divided into two arms based on treatment with thienopyridines: group I, clopidogrel 1 x 300 mg as a loading dose, and 1 x 75 mg per day thereafter, group II, ticlopidine 2 x 250 mg daily. Both thienopyridines were started on the same day as stent placement. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was measured immediately before and 12 h after the procedures. All patients were followed-up during the hospital stay (6+/-2 days) with respect to MMI and MCEs. The increase frequency and the amount of cTnT level in group I was found significantly lower compared with group II (5 vs.15; P<0.01; 0.38+/-0.11 vs. 0.44+/-0.12 ng/ml; P<0.001, respectively). Patients with elevated cTnT levels more likely to have C type lesion (P<0.004). Though there was a trend toward increased major clinical events rate in group II than those of group I, the statistical difference was not different (4 vs. 1.3%; P>0.05). The present study showed that the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin was more effective than the combination of ticlopidine and aspirin in decreasing the rate of MMI.

A rare variant of single coronary artery and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A single coronary artery (SCA) constitutes a rare congenital anomaly. The reported incidence of SCA ranges from 0.2 1.6% of the population undergoing coronary angiography. The congenital absence of the ostium of the right coronary artery (RCA) with the origin of the RCA as a continuation of the distal circumflex artery is an extremely rare variant of the SCA. Its real incidence is unknown. We report a case of a 38-year-old white female with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with SCA, in which the RCA arises as an extension of the circumflex artery.