Combined measurement of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and highly sensitive cardiac troponin T for diagnosis and monitoring of heart injury in chronic Chagas' disease.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic Chagas disease afflicts millions of patients in Latin America of which 70% remain asymptomatic but 30% develop fatal heart injury. To evaluate the impact of laboratory medicine for diagnosis and guiding of patients with Chagas' heart disease, we measured N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT). DESIGN AND METHODS: NT-proBNP and cTnT using the highly sensitive assay (hs-cTnT) were measured in 48 asymptomatic Chagas' patients (control group; (-) CM), and in symptomatic patients who suffered from mild/moderate (group (+/++) CM, n=62) or severe cardiomyopathy (group (+++) CM, n=27). RESULTS: Both markers were higher in (+/++) CM and (+++) CM vs. (-) CM and increased in the cardiomyopathy severity. Values of 3 ng/L cTnT and 160 ng/L NT-proBNP were calculated as optimal cut-offs to distinguish (-) CM vs. CM. The NT-proBNP cut-off of 125ng/L, as recommended by international guidelines, was additionally incorporated in the analysis. Cardiomyopathy was most successfully predicted by dual positivity of both markers (positive predictive value=1.0). Negativity of both markers effectively excluded cardiomyopathy (negative predictive value of 0.85). Positivity for at least one of the markers is the best for overall correct classification. CONCLUSIONS: Combined measurement of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of cardiomyopathy in chronic Chagas' patients. In this way, laboratory medicine increases the pre-test probability of the cardiologic diagnostics, which would reduce its time, cost, and logistical problems.

Cardiac troponin T measured with a highly sensitive assay for diagnosis and monitoring of heart injury in chronic Chagas disease.

CONTEXT: Chronic Chagas disease (15 million patients; annual incidence, 40, 000 patients; annual mortality, 12 ,500 patients) is the most serious parasitic disease in Latin America. Between 10 and 30 years after infection, 30% of patients with Chagas disease develop heart injury, which is the main reason for its high mortality. Consequently, frequent cardiac diagnostics are required for patients with Chagas disease. OBJECTIVE: To minimize time-intensive and cost-intensive diagnostics, such as electrocardiography, echocardiography, and radiologic imaging, we tested the effect of measuring serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) with a highly sensitive assay. To indicate the pathophysiologic background for cTnT release in Chagas heart injury, inflammation markers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, were measured in parallel. DESIGN: Serum cTnT was measured in 26 healthy subjects and in 179 patients with chronic Chagas disease who were asymptomatic (indeterminate stage, n  =  86), who were suffering from cardiomyopathy with or without megacolon (n  =  71), or who were suffering from megacolon exclusively (n  =  22). RESULTS: Serum cTnT was significantly higher in patients with cardiomyopathy with or without megacolon than in healthy subjects, asymptomatic subjects, and patients with megacolon, and the cTnT value was correlated with the severity of the cardiomyopathy. The lower limit of detection for the highly sensitive assay (3 ng/L) was best at distinguishing patients with, and without, heart injury. C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 were found to parallel cTnT changes in both the different Chagas groups and the cardiomyopathy groups separated by disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: Highly sensitive cTnT measurement has the potential to contribute to diagnosis and monitoring of heart injury in patients with chronic Chagas disease. The highly sensitive assay of cTnT release seems to be related to Chagas heart disease-specific inflammation.

Distinct patterns of autoantibodies against G-protein-coupled receptors in Chagas' cardiomyopathy and megacolon. Their potential impact for early risk assessment in asymptomatic Chagas' patients.

OBJECTIVES: Distinguishing the patterns of autoantibodies (AAB) against G-protein-coupled receptors in Chagas' cardiomyopathy and megacolon and the discovery of such a pattern in patients who are as yet asymptomatic could help to identify patients at high risk of developing the life-threatening complications of Chagas' disease. BACKGROUND: Such AAB against receptors as beta 1 (beta1-AAB), beta 2 (beta2-AAB), and muscarinergic 2 (M2-AAB) are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of Chagas' cardiomyopathy and megacolon, the predominant manifestations of Chagas' disease, which is the most serious parasitic disease in Latin America. METHODS: Beta1-AAB, beta2-AAB, and M2-AAB were measured in the serum of asymptomatic Chagas' patients and in those with cardiomyopathy and/or megacolon. RESULTS: Nearly all Chagas' patients with cardiomyopathy and/or megacolon had AAB. Predominance of beta1-AAB combined with M2-AAB in Chagas' cardiomyopathy and beta2-AAB with M2-AAB in megacolon was found. Such patterns were also found in 34% of the asymptomatic patients, of whom 85% possessed a beta1-AAB level typical for Chagas' cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of asymptomatic Chagas' patients who had a specific AAB pattern and had a beta1-AAB level above a defined cutoff point mirrors very well the epidemiological situation, which showed that clinical manifestations develop in nearly 30% of Chagas' patients and cardiomyopathy in nearly 90% of them. We hypothesize that beta1-, beta2-, and M2-AAB measurement might be a useful tool for risk assessment in the indeterminate state of Chagas' disease to select patients for earlier involvement in care programs. However, prospective studies are needed to further evaluate this hypothesis.

Estadificación ecoendoscópica de tumores gástricos: su correlación con el diagnóstico quirúrgico y anátomo patológico / Endoscopic-ultrasonography (EUS) staging of gastric tumor: correlation between surgical and pathologic diagnoses

Se presenta la experiencia con la ecoendoscopía en tumores gástricos y su correlación quirúrgica patológica, desde agosto de 1993 a mayo de 1995. Se estudiaron 15 pacientes, 10 adenocarcinomas y 5 mesenquimáticos (3 estronales y 2 linfomas gástricos), en los que se investigó la profundidad de la invasión tumoral en la pared gástrica (T), así como las metástasis ganglionares (N). La correlación general entre la ecoendoscopía y el diagnóstico patológico fue para el T del 66,7 por ciento (10/15) y para el N del 73,3 por ciento (11/15). Para los carcinomas (4 tempranos, 1 intermedio y 5 avanzados) el T fue del 60 por ciento (6/10) y el N del 70 por ciento (7/10), y para los mesenquimáticos (2 leiomiosarcomas, 1 leiomioma, y 2 linfomas gástricos) el T y N del 80 por ciento (4/5). La sobreestadificación fue del 20 por ciento para el T (3/15, en 3 ca. tempranos), debida a ulceración, cicatriz fibrosa, o infiltración lifoidea de los planos más externos, y para el N del 6,7 por ciento (1/15, en 1 ca. avanzado), debida a adenomegalias inflamatorias. La subestadificación fue del 13,3 por ciento para el T (2/15 en 1 ca. y 1 linfoma), pudiendo deberse a la invasión microscópica de los planos más externos, y para el N del 20 por ciento (3/15, en los 2 primeros ca. de la serie), probablemente por la inexperiencia inicial. La ecoendoscopía debería ser parte de la evaluación estándar de pacientes con cáncer gástrico (AU)

Estadificación ecoendoscópica de tumores gástricos: su correlación con el diagnóstico quirúrgico y anátomo patológico / Endoscopic-ultrasonography (EUS) staging of gastric tumor: correlation between surgical and pathologic diagnoses

Se presenta la experiencia con la ecoendoscopía en tumores gástricos y su correlación quirúrgica patológica, desde agosto de 1993 a mayo de 1995. Se estudiaron 15 pacientes, 10 adenocarcinomas y 5 mesenquimáticos (3 estronales y 2 linfomas gástricos), en los que se investigó la profundidad de la invasión tumoral en la pared gástrica (T), así como las metástasis ganglionares (N). La correlación general entre la ecoendoscopía y el diagnóstico patológico fue para el T del 66,7 por ciento (10/15) y para el N del 73,3 por ciento (11/15). Para los carcinomas (4 tempranos, 1 intermedio y 5 avanzados) el T fue del 60 por ciento (6/10) y el N del 70 por ciento (7/10), y para los mesenquimáticos (2 leiomiosarcomas, 1 leiomioma, y 2 linfomas gástricos) el T y N del 80 por ciento (4/5). La sobreestadificación fue del 20 por ciento para el T (3/15, en 3 ca. tempranos), debida a ulceración, cicatriz fibrosa, o infiltración lifoidea de los planos más externos, y para el N del 6,7 por ciento (1/15, en 1 ca. avanzado), debida a adenomegalias inflamatorias. La subestadificación fue del 13,3 por ciento para el T (2/15 en 1 ca. y 1 linfoma), pudiendo deberse a la invasión microscópica de los planos más externos, y para el N del 20 por ciento (3/15, en los 2 primeros ca. de la serie), probablemente por la inexperiencia inicial. La ecoendoscopía debería ser parte de la evaluación estándar de pacientes con cáncer gástrico