Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 mass level is increased in elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is extensively expressed by advanced atherosclerotic lesions and may play a role in plaque instability. We selected a group of elderly subjects that underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or balloon angioplasty (BA) and separated them into two groups, diabetic and nondiabetic, to compare the level of Lp-PLA2 mass between them. METHODS. 44 patients aged 79.6 ± 5.6 years with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis underwent TAVI (n = 35) or BA (n = 9). 21 subjects had confirmed type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lp-PLA2 mass was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (USCN Life Science, China) before and 3 days after the procedure. RESULTS. Lp-PLA2 mass was significantly elevated in this population (1296 ± 358 ng/mL before TAVI; 1413 ± 268 ng/mL before BA) and further increased after TAVI (1604 ± 437 ng/mL, P < 0.01) or BA (1808 ± 303 ng/mL, P < 0.01). Lp-PLA2 mass was significantly increased on the diabetic group before these interventions. CONCLUSION. Lp-PLA2 may be a novel biomarker for the presence of rupture-prone atherosclerotic lesions in elderly patients. Levels of Lp-PLA2 in diabetic patients may accompany the higher amount of small dense LDL particles seen in these subjects.

Failure of noninvasive prediction of pulmonary hypertension in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complication connected with unfavorable prognosis. Great efforts have been made in attempting to establish a reliable non-invasive method which would enable detection of this complication. In this context a formula using pulmonary function parameters was published with outstanding results. METHODS: We tested the formula in 27 IPF patients who underwent a lung function examination, cardiac ultrasonography and catheterisation on the same day. RESULTS: Pulmonary hypertension was detected by catheterisation in 17 patients (63%). In our group, contrary to the published data, the aforementioned formula was neither useful for detecting patients with a high probability of PH nor as a means of calculating the mean pulmonary artery pressure in individual patients (p = 0.502 and p = 0.833, respectively). Ultrasound examination reached borderline correlation with the values measured by catheterisation when we compare patients with relevant results (r = 0.531, p = 0.051). However, the examination gave no usable results in 13 patients (48%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that no reliable, noninvasive method is currently available for detecting and confirming PH in IPF patients. We did not confirm the usefulness of the published formula. Further carefully organised studies will be necessary to verify or refute it.

[Syncope in ventricular tachycardia as a first clinical sign of patent ductus arteriosus in an adulthood]. / Synkopa pri komorové tachykardii jako první klinický projev perzistující otevrené tepenné duceje v dospelosti.

The case-report describes a 48-year-old-female patient with the patent ductus arteriosus with the following structural changes leading to the malignant arrhythmias manifested as a syncope. The patient was treated by Amplatzer occluder and the implantation of the cardioverter-defibrillator. The authors discuss the patent ductus arteriosus, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in the patients with the congenital heart disease in an adulthood.

Long distance transport for primary angioplasty vs immediate thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction. Final results of the randomized national multicentre trial--PRAGUE-2.

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is shown to be the most effective reperfusion strategy in acute myocardial infarction. The aim of this multicentre national randomized mortality trial was to test whether the nationwide change in treatment guidelines (transportation of all patients to PCI centres) was warranted. METHODS: The PRAGUE-2 study randomized 850 patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction presenting within <12 h to the nearest community hospital without a catheter laboratory to either thrombolysis in this hospital (TL group, n=421) or immediate transport for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI group, n=429). The primary end-point was 30-day mortality. Secondary end-points were: death/reinfarction/stroke at 30 days (combined end-point) and 30-day mortality among patients treated within 0-3 h and 3-12 h after symptom onset. Maximum transport distance was 120 km. RESULTS: Five complications (1.2%) occurred during the transport. Randomization-balloon time in the PCI group was 97+/-27 min, and randomization-needle time in the TL group was 12+/-10 min. Mortality at 30 days was 10.0% in the TL group compared to 6.8% mortality in the PCI group (P=0.12, intention-to-treat analysis). Mortality of 380 patients who actually underwent PCI was 6.0% vs 10.4% mortality in 424 patients who finally received TL (P<0.05). Among 299 patients randomized >3 h after the onset of symptoms, the mortality of the TL group reached 15.3% compared to 6% in the PCI group (P<0.02). Patients randomized within <3 h of symptom onset (n=551) had no difference in mortality whether treated by TL (7.4%) or transferred to PCI (7.3%). A combined end-point occurred in 15.2% of the TL group vs 8.4% of the PCI group (P<0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Long distance transport from a community hospital to a tertiary PCI centre in the acute phase of AMI is safe. This strategy markedly decreases mortality in patients presenting >3 h after symptom onset. For patients presenting within <3 h of symptoms, TL results are similar results to long distance transport for PCI.

[Primary PTCA in the treatment of acute myocardial infarct. Experience at the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Kralove]. / Primární PTCA v lécbe akutního infarktu myokardu. Zkusenosti ve FN Hradec Králové.

INTRODUCTION: Primary coronary angioplasty is at present a fully accepted and worldwide method of treatment of acute myocardial infarction. As proved by a number of randomized studies, this treatment is associated with a higher rate of coronary patency, a smaller infarction focus an better clinical results as compared with thrombolytic treatment. METHOD: The authors analyzed a register of 233 consecutively treated patients with primary coronary angioplasty in the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Králové with elevation of the ST sections on electrocardiographic examination during the period from September 1997-January 2001. RESULTS: Acute success defined as a residual stenosis < 30%, normal flow through the vessel (TIMI III) and survival for the first 24 hours was 91.0% and without patients with cardiogenic shock even 96.0%. The total mortality on hospitalization was 9.1%. The mortality of patients without cardiogenic shock was only 1.9%. A high mortality was recorded in patients in cardiogenic shock (74.0%). A stent was implanted in 65.0% patients, subacute thrombosis of the stent occurred in 1.9%. During a 6-month follow up the total mortality was 10.3%. The percentage of patients without any cardiovascular even (event free survival, EFS) after discharge from hospital was 81.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The authors provided evidence that primary coronary angiolpasty is a safe and highly effective method in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. It is associated with a total hospitalization mortality of ca 10% and a mortality of less than 2% in patients without cardiogenic shock. Cardiogenic shock, on the other hand, remains a problem despite intensive treatment such as inotropic support, mechanical reperfusion and intraortal balloon counterpulsation. In the presented work the mortality of patients with cardiogenic shock was 74.1%. Implantation of a stent does not involve a major risk for the patient, the incidence of subacute thrombosis of the stent is low and does not differ from elective procedures. The fate of patients during the follow up after primary angioplasty is favourable. In the presented work the total 6-month mortality was 10.3% and EFS was 81.0%.

[Myocardial revascularization in malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia--prognostic significance]. / Revaskularizace myokardu u zhoubné komorové tachyarytmie--prognostický význam.

BACKGROUND: The survival of patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia is influenced positively in some instances by revascularization of the heart muscle and implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator. The objective of the submitted work was to evaluate by perspective follow-up of subjects with chronic ischaemic heart disease and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia: a) the effect of revascularization of the heart muscle on the prognosis, making use of programmed stimulation of the ventricles and testing the effectiveness of antiarrhythmic treatment; b) the importance of implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator in revascularized and non-revascularized subjects for the prevention of sudden "arrhythmic" deaths. METHODS AND RESULTS: The authors examined 37 patients (32 men and 5 women), age bracket 34 to 78 years (mean age 61 +/- 11) with IHD and spontaneous ventricular tachyarrhythmia after ruling out acute myocardial infarction. The group was divided into sub-groups without revascularization (21 subjects) and with revascularization (16 subjects). In both sub-groups programmed stimulation of the ventricles was implemented. During the diagnostic finding of programmed stimulation they tested antiarrhythmic drugs, most frequently amiodarone administered orally. A cardioverter-defibrillator was implanted to 10 patients. All patients were followed-up to death, the longest period being 24 months. They evaluated the frequency of cardiac deaths (death on cardiac grounds incl. sudden "arrhythmic" death) and sudden "arrhythmic" deaths (death within on hour after onset of symptoms or first recorded malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia). In the sub-group without revascularization with diagnostic inducibility of the heart muscle in 85.7% of patients the authors described 9 cardiac deaths (42.9%) and 8 sden "arrhythmic" deaths (38.1%). Conversely in the sub-group with revascularization and with diagnostic programmed stimulation of the ventricles in half the subjects 5 clinical deaths were found (31.3%) and 3 sudden "arrhythmic" deaths (18.8%). Analysis of 11 sudden "arrhythmic" deaths revealed that no subjects with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (5) died (documented malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia). Five of the six patients who died (all without a cardioverter-defibrillator) were not revascularized. CONCLUSIONS: Revascularization of the heart muscle in patients with ischaemic heart disease (after elimination of acute cardiac infarction) and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia reduces the risk of relapse of this arrhythmia. The benefit of implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator was recorded in all subjects regardless of the revascularization of the heart muscle.

[Percutaneous rescue transluminal coronary angioplasty]. / Záchranná (rescue) perkutánní transluminální koronární angioplastika.

Rescue angioplasty is an operation performed in the acute stage of myocardial infarction where systemic thrombolysis did not lead to opening of the artery. Investigations made in recent years indicate the benefit of rescue angioplasty only in those patients where the infarcted artery is patent several hours after evidence that thrombolysis failed. At the same time they provide evidence of the increasing safety and technical success of the operation. The authors present a brief review of the literature pertaining to the development of views, and emphasize the need of early and correct indication.

[Revascularization of the myocardium and electrical instability of the ventricles]. / Revaskularizace myokardu a elektrická nestabilita komor.

The objective of the investigation was to evaluate in patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia the asset of myocardial revascularization for improvemet of the electric instability of the ventricular myocardium and a subsequent outline of the tactics of antiarrhythmic treatment. The authors included in the group a total of 35 patients (30 men and 5 women), age 34-78 years (mean 61 +/- 11) with IHD (according to selective coronarography) with spontaneous ventricular fibrillation (18 sebjects) or persistent (above 30s) marked symptomatic ventricular tachycardia (17 subjects), after ruling out acute cardiac infarction. The group was divided into a subgroups of 16 subjects with revascularization of the heart muscle (coronary angioplasty, coronary bypass) and a subgroup (19 subjects) without revascularization of the hearth muscle. In both groups programmed stimulation of the cardiac chambers was implemented (PSSK) (apparatuses of Qinton Co. USA, Biotronik, GFR), in the subgroup after revascularization within three months. In case of a PSSK finding the authors tested antiarrhythmic drugs, most frequently amiodarone by the oral route (within one month). Treatment not causing permanent ventricular arrhythmia was considered effective. In the subgroup with revascularization the authors described diagnostic PSSK in 8 subject where testing of antiarrhythmics was made in 6 patients (an effective antiarrhythymic agent was found in one instance, i.e. in 16.7%). In the subgroup without revascularization diagnostic PSSK was implemented in 17 subject. Antiarrythmic drugs were tested in 16 patients (effective treatment in 12.5%--always amiodaroe by the oral route). Diagnostic ventricular tachyarrhythmia was found in patients with spontaneous ventricular tachycardia in all instances with revascularization and in 92.3% without revascularization. In patients with spontaneous ventricular fibrillation they proved diagnostic PSSK in 33.3% of the patients with revascularization and in 66.7% without revascularization. The relative number of implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators in group with and without revascularization was similar (25%, 26.3%). Revascularization of the heart muscle in patients with chronic IHD reduces markedly the electric instability of the ventricular heart muscle, in particular in case of spontaneou ventricular fibrillation. Selective coronarography and possibly revascularization of the heart muscle is esential in those patients. The tactics of antiarrhythymic treatment of revascularization of the heart muscle were not affected.

[Intracoronary stents today]. / Intrakoronární stenty dnes.

The authors present an integrated view on the role of stents in different indications in patients with IHD from the aspect of recently published or presented randomized trials.

[An invasive approach in patients with non-Q myocardial infarct. Yes or no?]. / Invazivní postup u nemocných s non Q infarktem myokardu. Ano ci ne?!

The objective of the presented retrospective work was to evaluate the expedience of general indication of an invasive procedure in patients with non-Q myocardial infarction (non-Q IM). The group is formed by 40 patients with non-Q IM, after a first coronary attack. The authors investigated the premorbid condition, the clinical course, early and late mortality, they evaluated the coronarographic findings of those who were subjected to angiographic examination and compared conservatively treated patients with those who had a revascularization operation. The results are in favour of an invasive procedure in all patients with a non-transmural IM, in particular when the lesions are in the anterolateral area.

[The clinical picture of stenoses of the trunk of the left coronary artery]. / Klinický obraz stenózy kmene levé vencité tepny.

In 1991-1993 the authors made at the Second Medical Clinic of the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Králové 651 coronarographic examinations: in 460 patients they detected ischaemic heart disease, of the latter 44 (9.6%) suffered from stenosis of the trunk of the left coronary. During the premorbid period the authors evaluated the grade of stenocardia according to the Canadian cardiovascular classification and also the incidence, number of coronary attacks and reason for indicating coronarography. In 29 patients (66%) the authors made an ergometric examination--in 82.8% the finding was positive and in 17.2 negative. The loading test was unequivocally positive only in complete obstruction of the left coronary, in case of multiarterial affection almost in all cases. Coronarography revealed only in 4 patients (9%) isolated stenosis of the trunk of the left coronary, most frequently the finding was also on two other (36.4%) or 3 (34.1%) arteries. Complete occlusion of the trunk of the left coronary was recorded in 6.8%. An ejection fraction of 50% or more was recorded in 75% of the patients. Surgical revascularization was performed in 35 patients. Twenty-nine patients are followed up after operation on a long-term basis (on average for 7.8 months), 23 of the patients report improvement of their complaints (65.7%). The investigation provided evidence that stenosis of the trunk of the left coronary is a relatively frequent finding in the patient population with ischaemic heart disease and that it is most frequently associated with affection of two and three arteries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Predictive value of indicators of oxygen supply to tissues in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease]. / Predpovední význam ukazatelu dodávky kyslíku ke tkáním u nemocných s chronickou obstrukcní chorobou plicní.

The authors investigated in a group of 83 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease the prognostic impact of some indicators of pulmonary function, haemodynamics and oxygen transport. They demonstrated that the prognosis is less favourable in patients with a lower one-second vital capacity with a higher median pressure in the pulmonary artery, with a lower oxygen tension in the arterial blood and higher haemoglobin concentration. They did not reveal significant differences between those who died and those who survived for more than five years, after the examination, as regards oxygen supply of tissues, oxygen consumption, coefficient of oxygen extraction and values of oxygen tension in mixed venous blood. Oxygen inhalation led to an increased oxygen supply of tissues and increased oxygen tension in mixed venous blood to normal values in all examined groups. This observation may be one of the explanations of the more favourable prognosis of patients with respiratory insufficiency, associated with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, who have permanent oxygen therapy during domiciliary care.

[Differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarct in hypothyroidism]. / Príspevek k diferencní diagnóze akutního srdecního infarktu u hypotyreózy.

The authors demonstrate the case of a female patient with hypothyroid myopathy where they recorded repeatedly a rise of enzymes used for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, whereby myocardial infarction was not revealed. The authors followed up the disease for two years. They evaluated the relationship between the state of substitution and the activity of the mentioned enzymes and myoglobin.