NEUTROPHIL-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO AND PLATELET-LYMPHOCYTE RATIO AS PREDICTORS OF CORONARY MICROCIRCULATORY DISEASE OCCURRENCE AND OUTCOME IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CORONARY SYNDROME AND NO SIGNIFICANT CORONARY ARTERY STENOSIS.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: Index of microcirculatory resistance assessment is an invasive method of measuring coronary microcirculation function. Association between impaired microcirculatory function and higher rate of cardiovascular events was proven. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio seem to be a promising parameters to predict coronary microcirculatory disease in patients with chronic coronary syndrome. The aim: To determine neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio levels in patients with coronary microcirculatory disease and potential association with clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Material and methods: 82 consecutive patients with mean age of 67 years, 67% male, were tested for presence of coronary microcirculatory disease using index of microcirculatory resistance. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio were calculated based on admission full blood count. Follow-up with major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events registration was performed (median 24 months). RESULTS: Results: The study showed significantly higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio in patients with coronary microcirculatory disease compared to control group (3.58±2.61 vs 2.54±1.09 and 164±87.9 vs 124±36.6 respectively). Higher level of platelet-lymphocyte ratio in patients with coronary microcirculatory disease results in worse MACCE-free survival. Optimal cut-off values of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio to detect coronary microcirculatory disease were 3.2 and 181.3, respectively. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio are associated with increased index of microcirculatory resistance value. Platelet-lymphocyte ratio may be used as a predictor of worse outcome in patients with coronary microcirculatory disease.

[Absence of echoviral RNA sequences in medulla oblongata samples taken from patients who died of ALS]. / Nieobecnosc sekwencji echowirusowego RNA w skrawkach rdzeni przedluzonych pacjentów zmarlych z powodu stwardnienia bocznego zanikowego.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The role of viral infection in the pathogenesis of ALS has been raised many times in the previous papers. The presence of an enterovirus genome has previously been confirmed using PCR RT and PCR in situ in spinal cord tissue samples taken from patients who died of ALS. Viral genome sequencing has also been used to show 91% and 88% homogeneity with ECHO 6 and 7 viruses, respectively. A year later the same method did not confirm the presence of the virus in spinal cord fragments taken from 30 patients who died of ALS nor in an 18 person control group. The present study was aimed to find persistent ECHO 6 and 7 viral infections in tissue samples taken from patients who died of ALS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: RNA was isolated from frozen medulla oblongata samples taken from six patients who died of ALS (hospitalized in the Neurological Clinic CSK AM in the years 2000-2002). The presence of RNA was confirmed using RNA beta-actine. Oligo 2 and 3 as well as pEforward and pErevers primers were used for amplification. RESULTS: All samples returned negative results. CONCLUSIONS: In the samples studied no correlation was found between ECHO 6 and 7 viral infections and ALS.