B-type Natriuretic Peptide as a Marker of Different Forms of Systemic Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease which affects various tissues and organs, including skin, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Cardiac involvement is the most commonly recognized problem and a significant cause of morbidity. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a previously known marker of elevated cardiovascular risk in SSc, but the levels of BNP in various forms of SSc have not been investigated so far. AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of SSc on the function of the right ventricle and the right atrium using the echocardiographic parameters. Moreover, we examined the levels of BNP in different forms of SSc as well as the association of disease severity with the plasma concentrations of BNP. METHODS: We included 42 patients with newly diagnosed SSc and patients whose disease had been diagnosed earlier. SSc patients and non-SSc control patients were examined by using echocardiography and the concentrations of BNP were determined. RESULTS: We analyzed differences in the parameters of right ventricle (RV) function and right atrium (RA) function between SSc patients and healthy controls. The two groups had similar distribution of gender, but SSc patients were significantly older than controls. RV wall thickness was increased in SSc patients (p<0.001), while right ventricular end-systolic area (RVESA; p=0.408) and right ventricular end-diastolic area (RVEDA; p=0.368) did not differ among the examinees. In contrast, RA minor-axis dimension (p=0.001) and the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (p=0.001) were significantly higher in SSc patients. Also, we analyzed differences in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations between diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (DSSc) and limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (LSSc) patients. DSSc patients had significantly higher concentrations of BNP. We found that levels of BNP were in significant positive correlations with age (p=0.007), disease duration (p=0.023), C reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.032), right ventricle fractional area change (FAC) (p=0.022), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and Rodnan score (p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Given the obtained results, the laboratory determination of BNP could be useful in differentiating different forms of systemic sclerosis as well as in predicting the severity of the disease and future cardiovascular complications.

The Effect of Early Substitution of Subclinical Hypothyroidism on Biochemical Blood Parameters and the Quality of Life.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is defined as high TSH and normal thyroxine. Data on the effects of early substitution by levothyroxine on psychophysical health in SCH are still not consistent enough to support its introduction. METHODS: Clinical parameters, biochemical data and quality of life (Short Form 36 questionnaire) were measured before the intervention and 3 months after the euthyroid state had been achieved in SCH patients. RESULTS: Significant reduction in body weight (p=0.030), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.024, p=0.019), homocysteine (p<0.001), leukocytes and neutrophils (p=0.011, p=0.001), INR (p=0.049), K levels (p=0.040, p=0.013), HbA1c (p=0.001), fasting insulin (p<0.001) and insulin resistance measured by HOMA index (p<0.001), lipid parameters (total cholesterol (p<0.001), LDL-cholesterol (p<0.001), triglycerides (p=0.007), apoB (p=0.022), Lp(a) (p<0.001), LDL/HDL (p=0.008), LAP (p=0.04) and apoB/apoA1 ratios (p<0.023)), TSH (p<0.001) and tAbs (p<0.001) was recorded. Frequency of fatty liver (20% to 2.9%, p=0.016), hyperlipidemia (85% to 65.7%, p=0.001) and metabolic syndrome (34.3% to 2.9%, p=0.070) significantly decreased. A statistically significant positive association was found between the average dose of levothyroxine and changes in physical functioning (r=0.391, p=0.020), vitality (r=0.393, p=0.020), mental health (r=0.374, p=0.027) and overall dimensions of mental health (r=0.376, p=0.026). With increasing doses of levothyroxine, the previously listed scores of SF 36 grew (r=0.296, p=0.084). CONCLUSIONS: Early substitution of SCH improved the many clinical and biochemical parameters related to cardiovascular risk. Quality of life was also improved, and correlated only with thyroxine doses suggesting an indirect relationship between the degree of hypothyroidism and quality of life.

Kartagener's syndrome: A case report.

Introduction: Kartagener's syndrome is a recessive autosomal disease which is mainly seen to affect ciliary movement. The symptoms of the syndrome are the consequence of the defective motility of the cilia found in the respiratory tract and that results with recurrent lung infections caused by mucus stasis in the bronchi. Case report: A 37-year-old married, male father of one child, presented with a history of productive cough, wheezing, dispnea, headache, temporary fever. In his 9th year of age, 1986, situs inversus, sinusitis and pectus excavatum were diagnosed. In 1994 he was operated for correction of pectus excavatum. Bronchial asthma was diagnosed in 2008 when he was 31. In the last 2 years he had episodes of breathlessness, wheezing, cough, expectoration, headache, fever and fast declining lung function. The patient was treated with combination of inhaled bronchodilatators (inhaled corticosteroids + long-acting ß-2 agonist), and occasional administration of antibiotics, oral prednisolone, mucolytics in episodes of exacerbations of disease over a period of 7−14 days. Conclusion: Treatment for patients with this syndrome has not been established yet, but it is important to control chronic lung infections and prevent declining of lung function.

Early predictors of left ventricular function improvement late after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AIM) depends on the extent of irreversibly damaged myocardium and viable tissue due to stunning or hibernation. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic significance of early echocardiographic parameters of myocardial viability in prediction of late recovery of regional and global ventricular function. METHODS: The study prospectively included 40 patients after the first, uncomplicated univessel AIM treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Low dose dobutamine echocardiography (LDDE) was preformed 7-10 days after AIM and follow-up resting echocardiography from 7 to 12 months later. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of post revascularisation regional, dys synergy improvement were 61.29% and 94.59% respectively. The positive and negative predicative values were 90.48% and 74.47% re spectively. The number of viable segments (p = 0.01) and extent of contractile reserve (p = 0.01) were univariate, independent predictors of improvement in ejection fraction (EF). From the multivariate stepwise regression analysis contractile reserve was selected as most powerful predictor of late recovery of left ventricular contractile function (p = 0.007). Receiving-operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that three or more recovered segments were necessary for an improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > or = 5% after the revascularisation, with the highest sensitivity, 100% and specificity 56% (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Low-dose dobutamine echocardiography is a powerful predictor of the regional dys synergy recovery late after AIM treated with PTCA with implantation stent. Late full functional improvement of the left ventricle is related to the extent of contractile reserve and amount of viable tissue. At least three recovered segments are necessary for a significant recovery of the global left ventricular contractility.

[Stunned myocardium]. / Osamuceni miokard.

BACKGROUND: Stunned myocardium is a state of delayed recovery of regional contractility after a transient period of ischemia followed by reperfusion. CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital with acute anterior myocardial infarction, and treated using percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) within acute disease stage. Reversible myocardial dysfunction persisted after ischemia following the return of normal perfusion. Abnormal resting wall motion with augmentation of contractility at low and high doses of dobutamine characterizes the stunned myocardium and reflects the normal blood flow reserve, characteristic for these postischemic, reperfused segments. SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) with Tc 99 and dipyradamole showed normalization of perfusion defects in the apical region. There months after the infarction and PTCA, contractility was almost completely recovered. CONCLUSION: Stunned myocardium recovery lasted from few weeks to few months. Control ultrasonography as well as SPECT showed normalization of systolic function of the left ventricle in the viable segments registered at previous examinations.

[The role of ischemic preconditioning in acute myocardial infarction].

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic preconditioning is a phenomenon in which brief episodes of ischemia and reperfusion increase myocardial tolerance and substantially reduce the infarction size. CASE REPORT: Two patients with acute left anterior descending artery occlusion received fibrinolytic therapy within 6 hours of symptom onset, but nevertheless developed myocardial infarctions of different size. The first patient, without a history of preinfarction angina, developed a large anterior infarction, because there was no time for ischemic preconditioning or development of coronary collateral vessels. The second patient, with a 4-day history of preinfarction angina, had a more favorable outcome - he developed apical necrosis, with greater myocardial viability in the infarct-related area. CONCLUSION: The beneficial effects of angina occurring 24-48h before infarction are resulting from ischemic preconditioning, which reduces cardiac mortality, infarct size and occurrence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.