Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and AIDS are known to cause cardiovascular diseases such as premature coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. Recently, Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio has been shown as a novel marker of ventricular repolarization. We aimed to evaluate the ventricular repolarization using Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Totally 48 patients with HIV and 60 control subjects were enrolled to the study. Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratio were measured from the 12-lead electrocardiogram. Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio and Tp-e/QTc ratio were significantly higher in patients with HIV than control subjects (all p<0.01). In correlation analysis, there were positive correlation between Tp-e interval and disease duration (r=0.298, p=0.048). and inverse correlation between Tp-e interval and CD4 count(r=-0.303, p=0.036). Our study showed that Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT and Tp-e/QTc ratios were increased in patients with HIV than control subjects.

Assessment of the atrial electromechanical properties of patients with human immunodeficiency virus.

The relationship between atrial fibrillation and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was evaluated. Electro-echocardiographic methods can be used to predict the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study, we aimed to investigate the atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) parameters of HIV (+) patients. Forty-two HIV (+) patients and 40 HIV (-) healthy volunteers were prospectively enrolled in this study. The electromechanical properties of the subjects' atria were evaluated with tissue Doppler imaging. The left-AEMD, right-AEMD and inter-AEMD were increased in the HIV (+) patients relative to the controls (p=0.003, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). The CD4 count was inversely correlated with the inter-AEMD (r=-0.428, p<0.001). The CD4 count was an independent predictor of the inter-AEMD (ß=0.523, p=0.007). Our study demonstrated that both the inter- and intra-atrial electromechanical delays were prolonged in the patients with HIV. This non-invasive and simple technique may provide significant contributions to the assessment of the risk of atrial arrhythmia in patients with HIV.

Serum Paraoxonase Levels are Correlated with Impaired Aortic Functions in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between aortic functions and paraoxonase levels has been previously demonstrated by several earlier studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between serum paraoxonase levels and aortic functions among patients with chronic kidney disease. METHODS: Our study enrolled 46 chronic kidney disease patients and 45 healthy controls. From these patients, serum cholesterol, creatinine, hemoglobin, and paraoxonase-1 levels were analyzed. RESULTS: Paraoxonase-1 levels were significantly lower in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to the controls (p < 0.001). Additionally, the extent of aortic stiffness index (%) was significantly higher in chronic kidney disease patients, but aortic strain and aortic distensibility were significantly higher in healthy controls (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). We further found that paraoxonase-1 levels were correlated with aortic stiffness index, aortic strain, and aortic distensibility (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that serum paraoxonase-1 levels were significantly correlated with impaired aortic functions. The results of this study highlight the impact of serum paraoxonase-1 activity on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular adverse events. KEY WORDS: Aortic functions; Atherosclerosis; Chronic kidney disease; Echocardiography; Paraoxonase.

Double-edged sword in the heart: trapped deep venous thrombus in a patent foramen ovale.

Trapped thrombus in a patent foramen ovale is a rare condition. Echocardiography is the main tool for diagnosis and for determination of the treatment to choose. There are a number of treatment options for trapped deep venous thrombus in a patent foramen ovale, including surgical thrombectomy, thrombolytics, and anticoagulant therapy. All patients should be evaluated individually, because the systemic and pulmonary thromboembolism risk of all treatment options is like a 'double-edged sword'. Here, we report a case of a patient with trapped thrombus in the patent foramen ovale detected by echocardiography, and successfully treated with surgical thrombectomy under extracorporeal circulation.